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IN AUGUST. 186-'. 





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LIEUT. GEN-L JURAL A. EARL 




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LIEUT. GEN'L JUBAL A. EARLY 




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IN ALKiUST, 1862. 



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ADDRESS 



-BY— 



Lieut Gen'lJUBAL A. EARLY 



KI'.FORK THE 



FIRST ANNUAL MEETINC 



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Associaticju of the Maryland Line, 



TCXiF.THKR WITH THE 



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PROCEEDINGS AT THE THIRD ANNUAL BANQUET 



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Ol'' THE 



S9CIETV or THE AR»7 AND NAV7 OF IHS CDKFEDEEATE STATES, 



IN THE STATI". Ol" MARYLAND. 



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First Annual Meetinc; of the Association of the 
Maryland Line, at the Academy of Music, Baltimore 
February 22, i8S^. 

The meeting was called to order by Maj. Gen'l I. R. Trimble, 
the senior Governor of the Association, who introduced General 
Bradley T. Johnson, the President, who he said would bring to 
their attention matters of deep interest to all Marylanders and to 
which he invoked their serious consideration. 

General Johnson said : 

Ladies and Gentlemen : We welcome you with pleasure to this 
first annual meeting of the Association of the Maryland Line, and 
we thank you for the cordial greeting you have given us. We 
have organized ourselves for the purpose of collecting materials 
for the history of the battles and the bivouacs, the marches and 
the campaigns of Maryland men in the Confederate Army, and 
of trying to make some provision for our infirm, disabled and 
broken comrades, disabled by wcnmds or broken by the hard- 
ships of fortune and of time. We have succeeded greatly in the 
first object of our endeavors, for we have collected copies of the 
muster rolls of every Regiment, Battalion and Battery, and are 
engaged in gathering those of Maryland companies which served 
in South Carolina and Virginia regiments. Our record is approach- 
ing completion. 

The pious labor of caring for our comrades still presses us. As 
the march lengthens, more and more of them fall out of ranks. 
We have neither pensions or bounties to hope for, nor to relv on, 
^Maryland has given ten millions in bounties to soldiers who 
enlisted in Maryland regiments on the Union side, and the Union 
has bestowed two hundred millions in pensions for its defenders. 
We can only look to ourselves, and to that kind-hearted sympathy 
and love, which in Maryland has never failed the unfortunate. 
We hope in time to found a home in which old and infirm Con- 
federate soldiers may be tenderly and respectfully sheltered, and 
that their old age and honorable scars may be spared at least the 



public poorhouse. We ask alms troiii no one; we beg' no obelus 
for Belisarius. We do desire the aid of sympathizing- hearts and 
generous hands. We will continue our efforts with faith in our 
success. After this brief e.\j)lanation of the objects of our organ- 
ization, I perform a duty incumbent on me, which is alike a pleas- 
ure and an honor, of introducing to vou a soldier whose genius 
and courage ha\e won for liim an illustrious ])lace in the annals of 
the art of war, and his devotion, sincerity and patriotism the 
innermost one in the hearts of his countrymen. I introduce to 
you Lieut. Gen. Jubal A. Early, late commander of the second 
cor])s ot the Armv of Northern Virginia. 




Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Maryland Line ; 

MY friends and COMRADES OF THE ArMY AND NaVY OF THE 

Confederate States ; Ladies and Gentlemen :— 

When I consented to deliver an address before this Association, 
and selected the subject of that address, I had no thought that the 
campaign of August, 1S62, in Northern Virginia, would, in any 
way, be involved in any question or discussion that might arise in 
Congress, during its present session. It was, therefore, with no 
reference whatever to the questions which have arisen before that 
body that I selected my subject. I have long thought the cam- 
paign I refer to was not fully appreciated, even by many Confed- 
erate officers who participated in it ; and I know that some have 
entertained \ery erroneous views and made very inaccurate state- 
ments in regard to it. 

It was my fortune to bear a more active part in that campaign, 
from its beginning to its close, than any officer, now surviving, 
who was engaged in it on our side ; and I think I know more in 
respect to its operations, especially those conducted by him whose 
command bore the most conspicuous part, than any man now liv- 
ing. Hence it was that I selected that campaign as the subject of 
my address ; and I bespeak your indulgence while I attempt to 
describe it to you. As a matter of necessity, I shall be compelled 
to omit, or iiotice very briefly, many interesting events, bv reason 
of the limited time and space which I feel warranted in devoting to 
the subject on this occasion. 

Campaign against pope in i^ugu^t, 1862. 

The operations of the Army of Northern Virginia, under Gen- 
eral Lee, at the close of June and beginning of July, 1862, against 
the forces under McClellan, generally known as the "Seven days' 
Battles," had resulted in relieving Richmond of the siege threaten- 
ing that City, and forced McClellan to take refuge at his "new base" 
on James River, where it was impracticable to attack him except at 
great disadvantage. The Army then returned to the vicinity of 
Richmond, for the purpose of repose after its arduous and harras.'s- 
ing struggle, and to be convenient to the needed supplies. 



A new commander, Major general John Pope, had now appeared 
in Northern X'iroinia, East of the Hhie Ridge and North of the 
Rapidan, at the Iiead of an army styled the "Army of Virginia," 
and composed of the corps of McDowell, Banks, and Fremont — 
th<' latter then commanded by Sigel. 

General Pope, on assuming his new command, had gone to it on 
a train decked with banners and Hying streamers, and had issued a 
bombastic and vain-glorious address to his troops, in which he said : 
"1 have come to you from the West, where we have always seen 
the backs of our enemies — from an army whose business it has been 
to seek the adversary and beat him when found — whose policy 
has been attack, not defence, '^ "' '■' I presume I have been 
called here to pursue the same sjstem, and to lead you against the 
enemy." 

He said further to his troops: "I desire you to dismiss from 
your minds certain phrases which I am sorry to find much in 
vogue among you. I hear constantly of taking strong positions 
and holding them — of lint-s of retreaL and bases of supplies. Let 
us discard such ideas. — The strongest position which a soldier 
should desire to occupy is the one from which he can most 
easilv advance upon the enemy. Let us study the probable 
lines of retreat of our opponents, and lea\e our own to take 
care of themselves. Let us look before and not behind. Suc- 
cess and gloryare in the advance. Disaster and shame lurk in 
the rear." 

He also proclaimed that his " In acl-quarters would be in the 
saddle." 

He subsequently issued an order, in w hich he directed that his 
troops should subsist upon the country in which their operations 
were carried on ; and two others of a more barbarous character, 
whose atrocities it is needless to specify. He was certainly pro- 
ducing a great commotion in the poultry yards of the worthy ma- 
trons of that region, whose husbands or sons were absent in the 
service of their state and country, when (leneral Lee sent Stone- 
wall Jackson to look after this redoubtable warrior. 

General Jackson's command, at that time, consisted of his own 
division of four brigades, Lawton's, Winder's, Taliaferro's, and 



J. R. Jones's,* Ewell's division of three brigades, Trimble's, Hays's, 
and my own, and twelve batteries of artillery of about four guns 
each. 

Ewell's division, which was in the advance, reached Gordonsville 
about the middle of July. Jackson's division soon followed, and 
General Jackson himself arrived on the 19th. Robertson's brigade 
of cavalry, of four regiments, and Captain Elijah White's indepen- 
dent company of cavalry, reached the vicinity about the time of 
Ewell's arrival. 

About the last of July, General A. P. Hill's division arrived, it 
ha\ ing been ordered to re-inforce General Jackson. In the mean- 
time, there had been several small skirmishes and fights with por- 
tions of the enemy's cavalry, which crossed the Rapidan on recon- 
noitring- expeditions and advanced to Orange C. H., and on one 
or two occasions towards Gordonsville ; but of these it is not ne- 
cessary to speak more particularly. 

On the 30th of July, General Halleck, who had been appointed 
General in chief of the U. S. Army, with his residence at Wash- 
ington, telegraphed McClellan : "A dispatch just received from 
General Pope says that deserters report that the ememy is moving 
south of James River, and that the force in Richmond is very small. 
I suggest he be pressed in that direction, so as to ascertain the 
facts of the case." 

On the 31st, he again telegraphed McClellan: "General Pope 
again telegraphs that the enemy is reported to be evacuating Rich- 
mond and falling back on Danville and Lynchburg." 

On the ist of August, General Jackson's whole command, exclu- 
sive of the cavalry,- but including the artillery, could not have ex- 
ceeded 20,000 officers and men, for duty. 

I have in my possession, no\A', the original monthly returns of 
the brigades of Ewell's division for the month of July, and the 
office copy of the consolidated returns for the division, all dated 
the 31st of the month, and these show present for duty on that day, 
in the infantry and artillery of the division, 4,801 officers and men, 
including among the officers all general and staff oflficers, and even 

*NOTE. — This brigade is called "Campbell's brigade" in ( Jeneral Jackson's 
report, from the fact tiiat it had been commanded by Colonel (Campbell ibn-ing 
the Valley Campaign of 18()2; but General J. 11. Jones had been assigned to 
it, and was in command of it during a portion of the seven days battles He 
was now absent sick. In some of the repoits it is called the '^ind brigade." 



the sui'oeons and chaplains. I ha\^e also the orig'inal return of 
Lavvton's brigade for the 13th of August, when it was transferred 
to Ewell's division, and that shows present for duty in the infantry 
and artillery of the brigade, 2,099 officers and men. This brigade 
had not been engaged in the battle of Cedar Run, and the return 
lullv covers its strength on the 1st of the month. The other three 
brigades of Jackson's division were very small, and 3,000 would 
probably cover their whole strength. The whole command, there- 
fore, did not exceed 9,900, exclusive of the cavalry, before the ar- 
rival of Hill's di\-ision. That division, as shown by the returns 
given by Colonel Walter H. Taylor, in his "Four years with Gen- 
eral Lee," had, on the 20th of July, the date of the last return given 
before the campaign against Pope, for duty, 519 officers and 10,104 
enlisted men — in all 10,623. Jackson's whole command, therefore, 
after Hill's arrival, exclusive of the cavalry, could not have much 
exceeded 20,000 officers and men for duty, and its effective force, 
which embraces only enlisted men for duty, was considerably less. 
The cavalry could not have reached 1,500. 

Poi)e, in his testimony before the Committee on the conduct of the 
war, on the 8th of July, 1862, said: "I have a movable force, aside 
from the few troops that are here around Washington and in the 
intrenchments, of about 43,000 men." 

He further said : "I have no apprehension, with my troops sta- 
tioned in that position, [that is, off on the flanks of any opposing 
force,] although I have but 43,000 men, tliat even 80,000 of the 
enemy would be able to get to Washington at all." 

In his official report, dated January 27th, 1863, speaking of the 
strength of his three corps at the time he was assigned to the com- 
mand, (June 26th,) he says, "Their effective strength of infantry 
and artillery, as reported to me, was as follows : Fremont's corps, 
eleven thou.sand five hundred strong; Banks's corps reported at 
fourteen thousand five hundred but in reality only about eight 
thousand ; McDowell's corps eighteen thousand four hundred, 
making a total of thirty-eight thousand men. The cavalry num- 
bered about five thousand, but most of it was badly mounted and 
armed, and in poor condition for service." 

Thus he estimates his available effective strength at 43,000 men, 
by deducting 6,400 from Banks's official return-count that and there 
would be 49,400. It must be borne in mind that the effective 
strength of an army, embraces only the enlisted men for duty who 
bear arms. 



Tl'.c statement of Pope, that most of his cavalry "was badly 
mounted and armed, and in poor condition for service," is calcu- 
lated to elicit a smile from the survivors of our cavalry, when thev 
recollect that they had to furnish their own horses, and that nearly 
all their arms were captured from the enemy. 

On the 6th of August, Halleck telegraphed McClellan : "You 
will immediately send a regiment of cavalry and several batteries 
of artillery to Burnside's command at Aquia Creek. It is reported 
that Jackson is moving North with a very large force." 

Pope was now calling lustily for re-inforcements, and they were 
getting badly scared at Washington. 

Battle of Cedar Run or Slaughter's Mountain. 

Having been informed that a portion of Pope's force was at 
Culpeper C. H., on the 6th of August, General Jackson determined 
to advance against it, with the hope of defeating it before re-inforce- 
ments could arrive, and orders were given for that purpose. At 
this time Ewell's division was encamped near Liberty Mills, on the 
road to Madison C. H., Hill's at Orange C. H., and Jackson's in 
the vicinity of Gordonsville, while the cavalry watched the cross- 
ings of the Rapidan. Ewell's division moved first and crossed 
the Rapidan, at Liberty Mills, early on the morning of the 7th. 
being preceded by the 6th Virginia cavalry, under Colonel T. S. 
Mournoy, and White's company. The cavalry moved out in 
the direction of Madison C. H., while Ewell turned to the right 
and moved to the vicinity of Barnett's Ford, where a road to 
Culpeper C. H. crosses the Rapidan, and bivouacked for the night. 
The other divisions were to cross at this ford on the 8th and follow 
Ewell's. Early on the morning of the 8th Ewell's division moved 
past Barnett's Ford, and drove a cavalry picket from it. Robert- 
son then crossed at that ford with three of his regiments, and, 
passing to the front, encountered a considerable force of the 
enemy's cavalry, which he drove across Robertson River, on the 
road to Culpeper C. H., pursuing it some three or four miles 
beyond that river. Ewell's division crossed Robertson River 
early in the day, and bivouacked on its north bank, to await the 
arrival of the other divisions to within supporting distance. Jack- 
son's division crossed at Barnett's Ford late in the day, but no 
part of Hill's crossed until the morning of the 9th. 



lO 



On the morning of that day, Ewell's division moved to the froi-ft 
with my brig^ade in advance, until we reached the point to \vhicli 
Robertson had advanced with his cavalry, and we found it about 
eight or nine miles from Culpeper C. H.. confronted by a consid- 
erable force of the enemy's cavalry in some fields between the 
Culpeper road and Slaughter's Mountain on the right. 

Between the Culpeper road and and the base i)f the mountain, 
there is a valley, on a branch of Cedar Run, in which are the 
large fields of several adjacent farms, the valley as well as the 
mountain being entirely on the East or right of the road. The 
country on the West or left of the road, at this point, is inostly 
wooded, and the road crosses one or two small streams or rivulets 
running from the West, leaving narrow strips of woodland on the 
side next the valley, which is otherwise cleared of timber to and 
beyond the northern end of the mountain ; on the northern slope 
of which is the farm and dwelling of the Rev. Mr. Slaughter. 
Cedar Run flows beyond, in a south-easterly direction, past the 
base of the northern end of the mountain. 

After a reconnoissance of the enemy's cavalry, some pieces of 
artillery opened fire on it, causing it to retire; but some of the 
enemy's pieces, which were concealed from our view, soon re- 
sjionded, and the cavalry returned to its former position. 

My brigade w^as now moved out on the Culpeper road, to its 
intersection with a road from Madison C. H. about a mile from the 
point at which we found Robertson. It was here concealed from 
the view of the enemy by the woods, and his cavalry was con- 
cealed from my view by an intervening ridge in the field where 
it was posted. Trimble's brigade was moved to the right into a 
body of pines near the base of the mountain, Hays's brigade, under 
Colonel Forno, being in the rear, near a house at which we found 
Robertson. 

About one o'clock, in the afternoon, I received an order from 
General Jackson, through a staff officer, to advance with my brigade 
on the road to Culpeper C. H., with the inform: tion that General 
Ewell would advance, on the right, over the northern slope of the 
mountain, with his other two brigades, and that I would be followed 
and supported by General Winder with three brigades of Jackson's 
d!\ision, Lawton's being in the rear guarding the trains; but I 
was directed not to begin the movement until Winder was in reach 
and ready to follow me. 



While waiting- to hear from Winder, General Robertson and 

myself rode out into the fields on my right, to ascertain the e.\act 

position of the enemy's cavalry. The road, a short distance in 

my front, crossed a small stream running fnjm tlie left, and then 

passed through a large body of woods, leaving a long narrow strip 

on the side next the enemy's cavalry. I could not therefore move 

along the road by flank in safety, and determined to move obliquely 

across the road upon the enemy, and then through the fields in 
line. 

( )n my return t(j m\' command., I found a messenger from Winder, 
with the information that he was ready. 

The brigade, w hich had been diminished on the advance, in the 
morning, by a regiment and six companies of another detached to 
picket some side roads, was then moved into a meadow on the 
stream in my front, on the right t)f the r(jad, and from that point 
advanced against the enemy, with the 13th Virginia, under Colonel 
James A. Walker, deployed as skirmishers to cover my left flank. 
Colonel Walker was ordered to advance to the hunt through the 
woods, clear the road, and gradually oblique to the right, so as to 
rejoin the brigade on its left, as it nn)\ed to the front through the 
fields. The left of Colonel Walker's skirmish line encountered 
about a squadron of ca\ airy, on mo\'ing forward, which A\as driven 
off by a fire from that flank, and when the brigade reached the 
crest of the ridge, behind which the main body of the cavalry was 
posted, the latter was found mounted with the vedettes drawn in, 
the alarm of approaching danger having been given by the firing 
on Walker's left. A few shots from the brigade, and from the 
right of Walker's skirmishers, sent the enemy scampering to the 
rear. The brigade then wheeled to the^ left and moved forward 
through the fields, until it came to a farm road leading from Mrs. 
Crittenden's house, on the right, to and across the Culpeper road. 

At the point where the farm road crossed the Culpeper road, 
the latter emerged from the woods, and, running for about three 
hundred yards, with a prolongation of the main body of woods 
on the left and a field on its right, passed between a wheatfield on 
the left and a cornfield on the right, and then crossed a ridge. 

Walker had continued to cover my left with his skirmishei's, 
but he now rejoined the brigade and formed his regiment on its 
left flank. 



12 

Tlu' l)ri_o;ulc had acKanccd about a half ov throe quarters of a 
mik; wvv iai)i(llv, after com in t>- ujx.)!! the enemy's ca\ahy, and time 
was !L;i\(ii ii to breathe a few minutes. 

A fi'uee enelosiui; the lield in our front, and beside which the 
farm road ran, was then pulled down, and the brigade advanced 
intit the licld lo ihe crest of a low ridt^c, when a considerable body 
of the ememv's caxalrv was discoxered drawn up on the ridge on 
the opposite side of the wheatfield, in front (jf a body oi woods on 
that ridge ; and at the same time three batteries of artillery opened 
from behind the crest of the same ridge, and in our front. 

No iiifaiitrv had yet been seen, but it was manifest, from the 
bc^ldness with which the cavalry confronted us, and the opening of 
the batteries, that there must be a heavy force of infantry concealed 
bv the ridge in our front, and 1 therefore halted the brigade, and 
made the men cover themselves as well as they could, by moving 
a few steps to tlie rear and Iving clown. I then sent a request to 
General Winder to move up. 

The position which I now occupied, was in an uncultivated field 
in Mrs. Crittenden's farm. Immediately on my right, but a little 
advanced, was a clump of cedars, on the most ele\ated j)artof the 
gromid, from which point there was a sloi)e, to the right, to low 
fields or bottoms on the branch of Cedar Run, all the country be- 
tween us and the base of the mountain, the northern extremity ot 
which was oj^posite my right, consisting of cleared fields. On my 
left was the body of woods beside which the road ran, and in front 
of this woods was the wheatfield, with the shocks of wheat still 
standing, in the hollow between the two ridges and at the upper 
end of that hollow. Immediately in my front the ground sloped 
down to a small drain running from the wheatfield acro.ss the road, 
and bevond that drain was the cornfield. 

On the left of the road, where it cro.ssed the ridge in my front, 
was the body of woods in front of which the ca\alry was drawn up, 
but there was none on the right of the road. 

Immediately after sending back for Winder, I sent for some ar- 
tillery, but my request had been anticipated, and Captain Brown 
of the Chesapeake Artillery, with one gun from his battery, and 
Captain Di'uient of the ist Maryland Battery, with three guns, soon 
came dashing uj) through the fields, and were |)osted near the 
clump of cedars. They immediately opened on the enemy's cav- 



13 

airy ajid artillery, causing the former to retire speedily, through 
the woods over the ridge. General Winder, moving by flank along 
the road, soon came iq) with his ad\'ance, and some of the guns of 
Jackson's division were brought into action, near the point where 
the road emerges from the woods, under the super\ ision of Major 
Andrews, chief of artillery for the division. Ewell had by this 
time reached the plateau on the northern slope of the mountain, 
ancl caused two batteries with him to open also on the enemy. 

I had posted a regiment, the i2th (ieorgia, on the right of 
Brown's and Dement's guns to protect them, as there was a wide 
uncovered space between them and Ewell's position on the moun- 
tain. 

The cannonade had now become very brisk, ami I disco\ered 
that one of the enemy's batteries had been com})elled to change 
its position. 

As the brigades under Winder came up, they were moved into 
the woods confronting the wheatfield on the left of the road. Being 
in a position to obserxe the nature of the ground in front, I sent 
the information to General Winder that, h\ moving a force around 
the upper end of the wheatfield, and through the woods on the 
opposite ridge, he could get on the tiank of the enemv's batteries. 
In a few moments, howexer, I discovered, by the glistening of the 
muskets and Ijayonets in that wootl, though the men could'nt be 
seen, that the enemy was stealthily sending an infantry force to our 
left, and I immediately sent a stafl officer to inform General Win 
der of the fact, and caution him to look out for his left flank. Mv 
messenger found that that gallant ofticer had just been mortally 
wounded by a shell, and the message was deH\ere(l to General 
Jackson in person, he having arri\ed on the field. 

General Wm. B. Taliaferro now succeeded to the command of 
the three brigades of Jackson's division that were up. Taliaferro's 
own brigade, now commanded by Colonel Taliaferro, was imme- 
diately on my left — ^Jones's brigade, under Colonel Garnett, was 
on the left of Taliaferro's, facing the wheatfield, with its left extend- 
ing to another narrow field running back from the wheatfield. 
Winder's brigade, the Stonewall, under Colonel Ronald, was in 
reserve in rear of Garnett's left. 

When the artillery fire had continued about two hours after the 
enemy's batteries fii'st opened on my brigade, I discovered his in- 



u 

fantry acKancino in line tlii-oui^li \hc cornricUl, pri'cctlfd h\' a line 
ot skirmishers, hul it halted and la\- d(i\\ ii before yettint; within 
nuisket ranm', l>ein^ pai'lialU' roncraled 1)\- the ^mwin!^ eorn 
which was inoi'e' than head-hij^h. Ihis hne dI intanlr\' ii\ eiiajjped 
my I'is^ht llank. and 1 sent a recpiest to ("leneral [ackson for a hri- 
i>ade to j)ost on that tlank, and it was promised. lU-lore it arriwd, 
liowever, two Itatteries attached to Hill's di\ison, l^e^ram's and 
I'k-el's, which came npon the field in adxance of the di\ ision, snd- 
deiiK' dashed to the Iront ot the left o| m\' brigade, and comnicn- 
ced nnlinilicrino- within mnskct ranQe of the enemy's skirmisliers, 
which, with the line in icar, innnrdiateh' arose and advanced firing. 
Seeing that the gnns wonld !)<■ (-apt>n'e(l or disabled, unless sup- 
ported immediately, I ordered my brigade forward at a double- 
quick, and it arri\-ed just in time to saxc the guns. About this time, 
Major Snow (len Andrews, while mo\ ing some of the guns of Jack- 
son's di\ ision to an adxanced position, received a frightful wound 
Irom a bursting shell, which the surgeons pronounced mortal, but 
the Major determined to live, and did live and recover in spite of 
the doctors. 

As soon as the satetv of Mill's batteries was secured, the I2th 
(xeorgia was mo\ cd nj), and posted on the crest of a small ridge 
leading out Irom the main one and ai'ound in tiont of the clump of 
cedars, so as to haw an obli(|ue Hank tire on the <nem\- inmiedi- 
ately in front of the brigade. Large bodies of intantry had now 
adxanced through the wheatheld, and against ( "rarnett's extreme 
left, and the engagement became general along the front, and raged 
with great fury. Just as I had posted the I2th ( Georgia on the right 
ol my brigade, Thomas's ( ieorgia brigade f)f Hill's division, having 
arrived in ad\ance of the di\ision, came to mv assistance, by (ien- 
eral Jackson's order as promised, and I proceeded to post it on 
the right cjf the 12th Georgia, on the extension f)f the same ridge, 
so as to confrf)nt the force o\-erlap])ing my right. While doing 
this the left and centre of my ow n lirigade were concealed from 
my \iew, and on riding back I found that the batteries of Hill's 
division to the support of which my brigade had gone, were mov- 
ing to the rear, and the left and centre regiments were falling back 
obliquely from the woods on their left. I at on(.-e ordered a statf 
otticer to gallop to the retiring regiments and bring them back. 



i5 

The 1 2th Georgia, four companies of the 52nd Viroinia. and a por- 
tion of the 58th X'irj^inia were still holding their position on the 
right, and I rode to them and urged their commanders to hold 
their ground at ail hazards, as other troops would soon come to 
our assistance. Captain Wm. F. Brown, commanding the 12th 
Georgia, replied ver}' promptly : "General, my ammunition is near- 
ly exhausted, don't vou think I had better charge them ?" I could 
but be struck with admiration at the coolness and determination of 
the old man, for he was then sixty five years of age, but I said to 
him: "Captain, if we can hold on until other troops come up we 
will do very well." And here I must relate something of the his- 
torv of Captain Brown. He had been with General Ned Johnson 
at Alleghany Mountains, and with General Jackson in his Valley 
campaign, from McDowell to Port Republic, but he had then re- 
signed. A few days before the battle of Cedar Run, he reported 
to me for duty, and told me that, after the termination of the Val- 
ley campaign, he had concluded that, as he was old and had a son 
who was first Lieutenant of his compan)', it was his duty to go 
home and look after the old woman (as he termed her) and the 
rest of the children — so he had sent in his resignation and got a 
leave of absence. 

He then went home and stayed about two weeks, but, he said : 
"General, I saw so many young men lying around doing nothing, 

when they ought to be in the army, that I swore, I'd be d d if 

I would stay among them — so I came back to Richmond, withdrew 
my resignation, and I have come to report to you for duty." 

There being no field -officer present with the regiment, he, being 
the senior captain, was put in command of the 12th Georgia. It 
I had gi\-en the word he would have charged the whole force in 
our front, and the 12th Georgia would promptly have obeyed his 
order, for it nexer did know how to refuse to fight. I will add 
that his regiment was not long afterwards transferred to Trimble's 
brigade, and when General Trimble was wounded on the 29th ot 
August, Captain Brown, as the senior officer present, succeeded to 
the command of the brigade, though only a captain : and he was 
killed at Ox Hill in command of it, on the ist of .September- 
No braver or trucM- man fell during the entire war. 

Returning from this episode to the batde I was describing, 1 will 
state that my brigade, with the assistance of the guns of Brown antl 
Dement as well as those of Pegram and Fleet, which rendered very 



i6 

efticieiit serxice willi caiinistcr, liad kc-pl tlu- t-ncinv at l)a\- in the 
cornhcld ; l)ul, tarUK-r to tht- left, the (.ncmx- liad attacked xfry 
hercely Garnett's Iront, while a hea\ y force was thrown upon his 
left, conipellin!:^ it to give way. The enemy then got in his rear, 
and the whole brigade was forced to retire, when the attacking 
force assailed the left and rear of Taliaferro's brigade in the woods, 
which likewise ga\e way, but not until Colonel Taliafeiio had made 
an obstinate resistance with the regiments on the riyht of the bri- 
gade. He was, ho\\e\er, compelled to order those regiments to 
fall back also. The enemy, now ha\ ing j)o.ssession of the W(-ods 
on the left ot my brigade, opened fn"e on that Hank, whik' it was 
exposed to another in Iront. The centre regiments first ga\e 
way, but Colonel W^ilker still maintained his position, with his own 
regiment and a imrtion ol the 31st Virginia, in suj)port of the bat- 
teries, until all the pieces were carried otf .safelv, and the enemy 
had penetrated into the held in his rear. I le then ordered his reg- 
iment and the ])orlion ot the 31st with him, to tall back obli(juely 
from the woods. Jt was just at this crisis that 1 came in \ iew of 
that ])art of the lield attc-r posting Thomas. 

The latter held his position iirmly on the right, keeping the 
enemy's lett in check, while pouring a destructixc tire into its ranks. 
The I2tii Georgia, the lour com])anies of the 52nd, and tlu'])ortion 
ol the 58th, still held their grouiul, Ihow ii"s and Dement's guns 
continuing a destruclixe tu^e cjI cannister into tlu- eiienu' in front 
of those commands — Captains Brown and Dement I hemsehes ser- 
ving their pieces when their men wQVti exhausted. Very soon, 
Branch's, Archer's and Pender's brigades of Hill's division arrived, 
and were moved forward on the left of the road,, speedily clearing 
the woods of the enemy— Winder's brigade, under Colonel Ronald, 
gallantly and efficiently co-(jperating. The retiring regiments of 
my brigade were soon rallied and rtturned to the Iront, as was the 
case also with Taliaferro's brigade. 

Just as 11 ill's l)rigades had reached the edge of the wheal field, 
in the pursuit of the now retreating enemy, and Taliaferro's brigade 
and my regiments w'ere pressing" forward on their right, the enemy 
made a dcs|jerate effort to retrieve the lortunes of the day by a 
cavalry charge. Suddenly a body of cavalry came charging over 
the ridge and along the road, getting to within lorty or fifty steps 
of (ieneral Taliaferro and myself, who were directing our respective 
commands, when the men, without attemjiting any tormaiion, pour- 



17 

ed a volley into the head of the charging column, which caused it 
to turn abruptly to its right, through the wheatfield, when it re- 
ceived raking volleys from Hill's brigades, as it ran the gauntlet, 
by which many saddles were emptied. This ended the contest and 
our troops pressed on in pursuit. The troops in front of Thomas 
were the last to gi\e wa)', but they soon followed the retreating 
masses. 

It was now nearly night, but our troops continued tt) pursue the 
enemy, Field's brigade, and a Louisiana brigade, under Colonel 
Stafford, of Hill's division, which arrived just as the action closed, 
taking the lead. 

The pursuit was continued about a mile and a half when fresh 
troops of the enemy were encountered, which had just arrived. 
There was some artillery tiring at this point, but the pursuit now 
ceased, as it had become dark, and Colonel Wm. E. Jones, in 
pressing to the front with his regiment, the jth Virginia Cavalry, 
had captured the negro servant of a Federal officer, from whom it 
was ascertained that Sigel's corps had arrived. There was there- 
fore a halt for the night. 

Trimble's and Hays's brigades had not been engaged, but the 
two batteries, which Ewell had on the plateau on the mountain, 
and were supported by those br-igades, had rendered efficient 
service. 

General Ewell had not been able to advance against the enemy 
during the engagement, by reason of the artillery hre from our 
batteries, which swept the valley in his front ; t)ut when the retreat 
of the enemy began, he moved down and joined the main column 
before the pursuit ended. 

The troops we had engaged and defeated were those of Banks's 
corps mainly, but before the action or rather the pursuit closed, 
Pope arrived with Rickett's division of McDowell's corps, which, 
he says, "just at dusk, came up and joined in the engagement." 
Rickett's division numbered over 8,000 men. Sigel's corps arrived 
subsequently. 

We had only eight brigades actually engaged, to wit : three of 
Jackson's division, four of Hill's, and my own. Ewell, however, 
was within supporting distance with two others. Lawton's brigade 
of Jackson's division and Gregg's brigade of Hill's division were 
in the rear guarding the txains, which the enemy's cavalry was re- 



I8 

ported to be threatenin_s^-. Field's ;iiid Startord's brl<^ailes did not 
arrive until the close of the action, and a part ol' my brigade was 
absent on picket duty as before stated. 

A reconnoissance made r.ext morning by tlie cavalry, under the 
charee of General Stuart, who had arrixed on a tour of inspection, 
disclosed the fact that the greater part of Pope's army had arrived, 
and the r<,'St was coming up. 

(general Jackson, therefore, ditl not deem it prudent to push on. 
There w as some artillery hring that morning at long range, but in 
the afternoon we fell back to the \icinity of the battleheld. On the 
next da\-. Pope sent a flag of truce, requesting permission to bury 
his dead, and carrv off his wounded, and it was granted until two 
o'clock, l\ -M., but subsequently extended, until all his dead were 
buried. 

1 was on the held in jjerson during the existence of the truce, 
and the greater jjart of the enemy's dead were taken from the 
corntield in front of the positions occupied by my l)rigade and 
Thomas's. 1 had, on that day, with details from my own l)rigade, 
ninety-eight of our dead buried, which were found in the woods 
where Jackson's division had fought, and had been, overlooked by 
their proper commands. I also had six wagon loads ol small 
arms, that the enemv had left on the field, carried to the rear. 
They had been stacked by the command assigned to that duty, 
the day before, but had not been carried otif, though a larger 
number had been sent to the rear. Tlie enem\ on this day, 
buried something over six hundred dead that were lying on the field. 
On the night of the iith, we began rc-tiring to the rear, and 
returned to our lormer positions near Gordonsville, on the 13th. 
We captured one piece of artillery, and something over five 
thousand stand of small arms. 

Our loss was, in killed 223, wounded 1,060, and missing 31 — in 
all 1,314. 

Pope does not give in numbers his loss, but says it was heavy. 
He had now seen something more of the "rebels'" than their 
backs, and was destined soon to behold other new and more 
startling sights. 

In his official report, he says: 

"The consolidated report of (General Banks's corps, received 
some days pre\iously, exhil-i'.cd an elective force of something 
over tdiiitccn thousand men. Appended herewith will be tound 



19 

the return in question. It appeared subsequently, however, that, 
General Banks's forces at that time did not exceed eight thousand 
men. But although I several times called General Banks's atten- 
tion to the discrepancy bet\\een this return and the force he 
afterwards stated to me he had led to front, that discrepancy has 
ne\er been explained and I do not yet understand how General 
Banks could ha\ e been so greatly mistaken as to the forces under 
his conunand." 

Then lollows the return, as follows : 

Infantry. Artillery. Cavalry. Total. 

"ist Army Corps [Sigel's] 10.550 94S 1.730 13,228 

2d Army Corps [Banks's] 13.343 1.224 4.104 18,671 

3d Army Corps [McDowell's] 17,604 971 2,904 21.479 



Total, 41.497 3.143 «.73^^ 53-378 

Deduct infantry brigade stationed at \\'i;ichester, 2,500 

Deduct regiment and battery at Front Royal, 1,000 

Deduct ca\ airy unfit for service, 3,000 

6,500 



Total, 47.878 

I certify that this is a true copy of the consolidated morning- 
report of the Army of \'irginia, dated July 31st, 1862, com- 
manded by Major General Pope." 

"MYER ASCH, dxplaiu and Aidc-de-Cavipr 

Pope seems to be surprised that Banks could not explain the 
discrepancy about his strength, between his official return and his 
statement after he had fought Jackson at Cedar Run. The fact is 
that Banks's mind always did become confused when Stonewall 
Jackson was about. In his report, Pope further says : "The day 
of the loth was intensely hot, and the troops on both sides were 
too much fatigued to renew the action. My whole effective force 
on that day, exclusive of Banks's corps, which was in no condition 
for service, was about twenty thousand artillery and infantry, and 
about two thousand cavalry ; General Buford with the ca\'alry lorce 
under his command, not yet having been able to join the main 
body." 



20 

King^'s (li\ision of McDowell's corps came up on the e\ening of 
the I ith, and Pope then had his entire army concentrated. It will 
tluis be seen that it was a \ery prudent step on General Jackson's 
part to retire on the ni^ht of the nth. 

It is luird to tell wliat it was that prevented Buford Irom joininsj' 
ihe main body. On the 8th, he seiit a dispatch, by sis^nal, from 
.Madison C. II., to Banks, which is given by Pope as follows: "All 
of my force is withdrawn from Madison Court House, and is in re- 
treat toward .Sj)crry\ illc-. The enemy is in force on both my right 
and left, aiul in niv rear. 1 ma\' be cut off." 

1 can't conceive wliat it was that scared him so badlv. Robert 
son, with all liis brigade except one regiment, was driving another 
bcxly of the enemy's cavalry across Robertson River on the 8th. 
The 6th Virginia Cavalry and White's companv moved in the 
direction of Madison C. H. on the jth, and separately encountered 
]H)rtions of the enemy's cavalry which they drove before them. 
Perhaps, it was this regiment and company which alarmed Buford. 

The \ery presence of General Jackson in the vicinity of Gordons- 
ville had bewildered the minds, and excited anew the fears of the 
authorities at Washington ; and on the 3d of August the peremptory 
order was gi\en for the exacuation of Harrison's Landing, and the 
re-inforcement of Pope by McClellan's army. In his reply to some 
(juestions propounded by the committee on the conduct of the 
war, in May 1865, Pope said : 

"Jackson was at (iordonsville on the 4th of August, the day 
that (ieneral McClellan received orders to withdraw from the 
Peninsula ; and the battle of Cedar Mountain was fought on the 
9th of August, by the three corps under Jackson — his own, Ewell's 
and A. P. Hill's, supported by Longstreet's corps behind the 
Rapidan." 

On the 6th of August, Hall ck, in a letter to McClellan, said: 

"You and your officers at our interview estimated the enemy's 
forces in and around Richmond at two hundred thousand men. 
Since then, you and others report that they have received and are 
receiving large re-inforcements from the South, (ieneral Pope's 
army, covering Washington is only about forty thousand. Your 
effective force is only about ninety thou.sand. You are thirty miles 
Irom Richmond, and General Pope eighty < >r ninety, with the enemy 



21 

directly between you ready to fall with his superior numbers upon 
one or the other as he may elect : neither can re-inforce the other 
in case of such an attack." 

On the 9th he telegraphed McClellan : 

''I am of the opinion the enemy is massing his forces in front of 
Generals Pope and Burnside, and that he expects to crush them 
and move forward to the Potomac. You must send re-inforce- 
ments instandy to Aquia Creek" 

After the battle of Cedar Run, the .spectre of "overwhelming 
numbers" at Richmond, and a speedy advance on Washington, 
assumed a fearful shape, and Halleck became frantic in his direc- 
tions to McClellan to hasten the evacuation, and send forward 
re-inforcements to avert the threatened disaster. Burnside, with 
13,000 men from the coast of North Carolina, on his way to join 
McClellan, had previously been diverted from that destination 
and sent to the vicinity of Fredericksburg. 

On the 14th in response to Halleck, McClellan telegraphed : 
■'Movement has commenced by land and water. All sick will be 
away to-morrow night. Every thing done to carry out your 
orders. I don't like Jackson's movements ; he will suddenly 
appear when least expected." 

There were none on that side who did like Jackson's movements, 
when he was on the war-path ; and on this occasion he certainly 
caused Richmond to be entirely relie\^ed of the danger of a 
threatened siege, not to be renewed for the period of two years, 
and until he himself was in his grave. 

On the 14th of August, Reno, with 8,000 men of Burnside's 
corps joined Pope's army. 

ADVANCE AGAIN.ST POPE. 

Having ascertained that McClellan was sending troops to re- 
inforce Pope, General Lee, on the 13th, ordered General Long- 
street, with his division, D.R. Jones's division, two brigades under 
(jeneral Hood, and Evans's brigade to Gordonsville. General 
Stuart was ordered to the same vicinity with Fitz Lee's brigade 
of cavalry, and General R. H. Anderson was ordered to follow 
Longstreet with his di\'ision. Longstreet ha\ing arrived. General 
Jackson's command was moved in the direction of Somerville Ford 
on the Rapidan, on the 15th, and camped three or four miles from 



'>') 



the ford. Tlic comnKind had not bi'cn increased since the battle 
of Cedar Kini, but Law ton's lirigade had been transferred to Ewell's 
(li\ ision, and the Louisiana briii^ade, previously under Colonel Stal- 
tord but now under General Starke, had been transferred from Hill's 
di\ision to Jackson's. A day or two before the 20th, the 49th \'ir- 
oiniii, under Colonel Wni. Smith, joined my brigade, and this c(mi- 
stitnted the sole accession to (ieneral Jackson's command ; but it 
did not number one-third of the loss at Cedar Run. 

Cencral Lee haxing arrix'ed and assumed command, a forward 
movement was commenced on the 20th, which was to have begun 
on the iSth; l)ul Pope, having learned tlie intended mo\cment from 
a dispatch to Stuart, which was captured by a party ot the enemy's 
cavalry, hastilv retired across the Rappahannock. On the 20th. 
(ieneral |ackson crossed at Somerville Ford, and bivouacked for 
the night near .Stevensburg in Culpcper County. He was preced- 
ed by three regiments of Robertson's ca\ airy brigade, accom- 
panied by General Stuart in person. ( )n the same (la\- Longstreet, 
preceded by Fitz Lee's brigade of ca\alry, c-rossc-d lower down at 
Raccoon Ford, and moved to the ^•icinity of Kelley's Ford on the 
Rappahannock. Robertson's cavalry encountered a superior force 
of the enemy's caxalry near Brandy Station, which was driven, 
across the Rappahannock, after a sharp engagement, h'it/ Lee 
also encountered a force of cavalry at Kelley's Ford, and droxe it 
across the river. 

On the 2 1 St, (ieneral Jackson moved past Brandy Station to 
Beverly's Ford on the Rappahannock, at which point, Stuart, who 
preceded the infantry column with Robertson's brigade and two 
regiments of Fitz Lee's, under Colonel Ro.sser, .sent Rosser across 
with his two regiments, and Robertson cro.ssed subsequently at a 
ford farther up. Tiiere was heavy artillery firing here across the 
river from liolh sides, but the enemy appearing on the o{>j3osite 
*h mk in large force, it was determined to seek a crossing farther to 
our left — Rosser and Robertson having been withchaw n on the ap- 
proach of the enemy in force. 

On the ne.Kt day, the 22nd, General Jackson crossed Hazel River 
and moved to a point opposite the Fauquier Sul])hur Springs, 
Ewells division being in the advance ; but Trimble's brigade was 
left near the crossing of Hazel River to protect the trains as they 
passed. In the meantime Longstreet had moved up from Kelley's 
Ford, in order to cover the ford at the rail-road bridge and the 



2.^ 

crossings above, so as to mask General Jackson's movement to the 
left. Taliaferro had been left with Jackson's division to cover Bev- 
erly's F'ord until relieved, and there was again some cannonading- at 
that point across the river in the morning. In the afternoon, a con- 
siderable force of the enemy which had crossed at Freeman's Ford, 
above the junction of the two streams, was attacked by Trimble's 
brigade, supported by Hood's two brigades, which had arrived to 
relieve it, and, after a severe conflict, Trimble succeeded in dri\ing 
the enemy across the livev with se\'ere loss. 

Late in the afternoon, the 13th Georgia regiment of Lawton's 
brigade, and Brown's and Dement's batteries were crossed over the 
rner at the Sulphur Springs, a small force of cavalrv having retired 
on our ad\-ance, after destroying the bridge. Mv own iMigade was 
crossed over about a mile lower down, and mo\'ed to the front, 
where I took position in a body of pine woods. I was told that 
Lawton would cross ^\ith his whole brigade at the Springs, and I 
was directed to communicate with him. It was intended that Havs's 
brigade should cross at the same point at which I crossed, but be- 
iore I got o\er it was nearly night, and the crossing of that brigade 
was deferred until the next morning. It was dark before my !)ri- 
gacle was in ]:)Osition and pickets thrown out. I found on my left 
a road leading through the woods from Rappahannock Station to 
the Springs, and as soon as my dispositions were made I sent a 
volunteer aide. Major A. L. Pitzer, to find General Lawton at the 
Springs. It was now quite dark ; there had been a hea\y shower 
in the afternoon, and the muttering of thunder and flashing of light- 
ning foretold a storm. On reaching the vicinity of the S])rings, 
the Major came upon a party of cavalry-men, a sergeant and h\e 
privates, to whom his presence was disclosed by the flash of the 
lightning. He was immediately made a prisoner and disarmed, 
when this party, 'which passed up the road just before my arri\^al, 
started back with him; l)ut he so worked upon their fears that he 
brought in the whole party as prisoners, with 'their horses, arms 
and equipments. This incident prevented an\- fuithcr effort to 
communicate with ( xcneral Lawton that night. 

During the night, the threatened storm burst upon us, and the 
rain poured down in torrents. At light next morning I disco\ered 
the Rappahannock out of its banks, and I found myself cut ofl' 
from the rest of the army except the force at the .Springs. In a 



short tiiiK" I received a \trl)al iiifssa,Q:c from General Jackson, In' 
a sergeant of one of the batteries at the Springs, which had been 
comnaunicated across the ri\er : and by this I was directed to 
move up to the Springs, take command of all the forces there, and 
make preparations for defence. I was also informed that only the 
13th Georgia, under Colonel Douglas, of Lawton's brigade, had 
crossed over at the Springs ; and that General Jackson was having 
the bridge repaired, and would have it in condition for infantry to 
pass over as soon as [)ossible. 

I had previously sent a note to General Ewell or General Jack- 
son, whichever should be hrst met with, suggesting that my 
brigade and the force at the Springs be moved up the rixer to 
Waterloo bridge, to escape capture, which seemed to be inevitable 
under the circumstances. This had been sent by a messenger 
with directions to him to swim the river, and, after the delivery of 
the verbal message, I received a note from General Jackson, in 
reply to mine, in which the verbal instructions were repeated, and 
I was further directed, if the enemy appeared in too heavy force for 
me, to move up the ri\'er along the bank to Waterloo bridge, with 
the assurance that he would follow on the other side with his whole 
force and protect me with his artillery. I mo\cd up to the Springs 
as soon as practicable, and posted my brigade in a woods, a short 
distance below, near which Colonel Douglas had already posted 
his regiment and the batteries. I found, north of the Springs, a 
stream called Great Run, which emptied into the Rappahannock 
below my position of the night before, and that was also imjiassi- 
ble, it being fortunately between us and the enemy. A bridge 
over it, which was partially flooded, had been destroyed by 
Colonel Douglas, and we were safe for a time at least. Only a 
small body of cavalry had at that time made its appearance on the 
opposite side of this stream. In order [o j)revent surprise from 
•below, two regiments were posted on the road from that direction, 
and we awaited events with great anxiety, as a matter of course. 
My greatest apprehension was of a movement of the enemy from 
the direction of Warrenton, but fortunately he had no force there 
at that juncture. It took longer to repair the bridge than had 
been expected, and in the meantime Great Run had iallen rapidly, 
-and in the afternoon was in a condition to be crossed. The enemy 
was now moving up from below in heavy force, on a road that 
ran f?eyond Cireat Run towards Warrenton, his trains and troops 



^5 

beint>- partially visible to us. My command was entirely concealed 
from the enemy by the woods in which it was posted, but it was 
evident that he was aware of the fact that a force was on that side 
of the river, and from the caution with which he moved he must 
have thought it very much larger than it really was. 

The day before, Stuart, with his cavalry, had crossed at Water- 
loo Bridge above, and made a raid at night into Pope's head-quar- 
ter train near Catlett's Station — he did not however get into his 
saddle. 

He captured what was supposed to be Pope's uniform, and his 
dispatch book, besides making captures of horses and prisoners, 
and then retired in safety alter having created great dismay and 
confusion. Fortunately for us, he did not capture General Pope 
himself The consternation produced by this raid doubtless con- 
tributed very greatlv to the safety of my command in its isolated 
position. 

Late in the afternoon, a hea\v column of infantry, accompanied 
by artillery, made its appearance on the heights opposite my right 
flank. About this time. General Robertson, who had been on the 
raid with Stuart, arrived with two or three of his regiments and two 
pieces of artillery, from the direction of Warrenton, and his pieces 
were posted on a ridge north of the Springs, and opened on the 
enemy. This tire was responded to by some of the enemy's guns, 
and I had two Parrot guns of Brown's battery sent to the assist- 
ance of Robertson's guns, when a brisk cannonade ensued which 
lasted until near sunset. Care had been taken to post these guns 
so far to my left, that the fire directed at them could not affect my 
infantry. 

After this artillery firing ceased, a column of the enemy's infant- 
ry advanced to the bank of Great Run, just in front of the right 
of the woods in which my brigade was posted, and other bodies of 
infantry were discovered moving around to the left, though bare- 
ly visible through the mist and approaching darkness. 

The column that had reached Great Run, moved up and formed 
line in front of the woods where my brigade was, and after giving 
three cheers and a tiger in regular style, poured a volley into the 
woods. Two of Dement's Napoleons were immediately run out 
beyond my left, and opened with cannister on the enemy, causing 
him to change his tunc very suddenly. The fire from Dement's 



26 

t^uiis had to l)c directed by tlic noise tlie i'ncin\- made, as the at- 
mosphere was hazy and it was i^cttiii^ daik. It was so well chrec- 
ted, howev'er, that the toree that made the ad\ance was thiow n into 
contusion, and soon retired, It was now evident that my command 
was confronted by a \ery iiea\ y force, and that jjreparations were 
being' made to sniround it. 

Anotlier ol Law ton's re^^iments liad b\- this lime crossed o\er on 
the bridge, which had been partially repaired. I sent a messenger 
to ( ienerals Mwell and Jackson to intorni them ol' the condition ot 
things, and the lest ol l.auton's l)rigade was crossed oxer after 
n'ght. When ( ieneral l.awlon himself arrixed, about i o'clf)ck at 
nigiu, he inloi med me that General Jackson had instructed (Gene- 
ral Kwell to cross owv himself at dax'light, and if it was exident 
that a hea\ V lorcx- was contronting me, t(t withdraw the two bri- 
gades, as it was not desired to ha\"e a genti al engagement at that 
j)lace. On hearing this, 1 immediatcK- (Hsi)atehed a messi-nger to 
Kwt'll, to inform him that there was no doubt about the size of the 
enem\''s force, and ii we were to be wilhdi-aw ii, the witlidrawal had 
better begin at oncx', as by day-break the enem\- would, in all prol)- 
abilitv, ha\ (• artillerx' in position to <-onunand the- bridge, the 
sound of moxing wheels arf)und to m\- h'ft indicating some suc-h 
j)urpose. A little after three o'clock, ( ieneral Kx\eil came o\er, 
and after consultation with (jcnerals l.awlon and mvself g.ixe the 
necessar\- orders lor our withdraw al, ihoiigh \ c'r\- rehictanth, as 
he insisted the enemy was retreating. Law ton's brigade went first, 
carrying e)ver tlu^ artillerv by hand, ,ind mv brigade followed just 
as it became fairly light. 

As Ewell and myself rode off in rear of my brigade, the enemy's 
infantry was disco\-ered ad\ aneing in line, with skirmishers in front, 
and the corps of Sigei, Banks, and Reno soon ])assed oxer the yery 
ground we had occupied, and took position near the .Sjirings. A 
heavy artillerx' duel then ensued between tlu' batteries of the enemy 
and those of Hill's dixision which enntinued lor some hours. In 
the afternoon, .Sigel j)ursued an imagin.uy loe in the direction ol 
Waterloo Bridge, as all of oiu- caxalry as well a> the iniantrx' and 
artiller\- had recrossed the rixer in safety. 

( )n the 2ist, Halleck telegraiihed i'ope: 

"I hax (' just sent ( ieneral Burnside's rei)ly. (ieneral ("o.x's !''MTes 
are coming in from I'arkersbing, and will be liere to-morrow and 



27 

next dav. Dispute everv inch ol oround, and fight like the devil 
until we can re-inforce vou. Forty-eight hours ukuc and we can 
make you strong" enough. Don't \-ield an inch il you can help it." 
On the 23d Pope telegraphed Halleck: 

■' The enemy's forces on this side, which have crcxssed at Sulphur 
Springs and Hedgeman's ri\ er, are cut oft trom those on the other 
side. I march at once with my whole force on Sulphur Springs, 
Waterloo bridge, and Warrenton, with the hope to destroy these 
forces before the rWev runs down." 

On the 24th, at 3.45 P. M., he wrote Halleck: 

" I arrived in Warrenton last night ; the enemy had left twcj 
hours previously. Milroy's brigade, the advance of .Sigel's corps, 
came upon the enemy late yesterday afternoon near ( ireat Run, 
about four miles from Warrenton Sulphur .Sj)rings, and near the 
mouth of it. A sharp action took place, which lasted till dark, 
the enemy being dri\en across Great Run, but destroying the 
bridge behind him. '■'•' '■'■' .Sigel's forces ad\anced again on the 
left this morning, and when last heard Irom was pursuing the 
enemy in the direction of Waterloo bridge. -'■ "•- '■'■■ Xo force 
of the enemy has yet been able to cro.ss, e.xce])t that now enclosed 
by our forces between Sulphur .Springs and Waterloo bridge, 
which will no doubt be captured, unless they hnci some means, of 
which 1 know nothing, ot escaping acr.iss the ri\er between these 
places." 

From these extracts, it will be seen in what a critical position 
I had been, and how^well Pope understood the condition of things. 

On the 23d, some of Longstreet's batteries, supported by two 
brigades of infantry, had forced a body of the enemy that were 
across the river at Rappahannock .Station, to recross at that point 
over a pontoon bridge, which was destroyed bv the enemy; and 
on the 24th, the ri\er slill being im[)as.sable, Longstreet's whole 
force had mowd np to the suppoit of (General fackson's command. 

The dispatch book captured by StuarL disclosed the fact that 
McClellan's army had evacuated Harrison's Landing, that a por- 
tion of it had already joined Pope, that the remainder was being 
s.nt to him over the Orange and Alexandria rail-road, and that 
Co.x's troops trom the Kanawha \ alley were being brought over 
the Baltimore and (Jiiio rail-road for the same purpose. General 
Lee, therelore, determined to send General fackson to the rear of 



2^ 

Pope, to break the rail-road and thus separate him from the ap- 
proaching' re-inforcements, and to follow with I.onostreet's cf)ni- 
niand as s(jon as (ieneral Jackson was well on his way. 

MOVEMENT TO POPE'S REAR. 

The necessary orders having been oi\ en the (la\' before, early 
on the morning- of the 25th, General Jackson mo\t(l with his (Com- 
mand to Hinson's Mill, some miles above Waterloo Bridge, and 
crossed the ri\'er, called here Hedgeman's River. Then mo\ing 
by Orlean, the command reached the vicinity of Salem in Faucjiiier 
Coiintv, and bivouacked tor the night. All baggage wagons liad 
been left bi'hind, and no vehicles were allowed exce))! ordnance 
and h()S])ital wagons, and ambulances, — the men carrying three 
days' cooked rations in their haxersacks. The 2(\ X'irginia 
cavalry, under Colonel Munlbrd, preceded the command, picket- 
ing the side roads as the column passed on. Resuming the march 
early on the 26th, we passed White Plains, moved through 
Thoroughfare (iap in the Bull Run Mountain, and passing Hay- 
market, reached (iainesville, where the Manassas (jap rail -road 
crosses the Warrenton turnpike. .Stuart, with llie rest of the 
ca\alry of Fitz Lee's and Robertson's brigades, overtook us here 
in the afternoon, having very early that morning left the south 
bank of the Rappahannock, and followed General Jackson's route. 
F"rom this point, the column moxed towards Bristoe Station on 
the rail-road, preceded by Munford's regiment, which was Ibl- 
lowed by Hays's brigade, Ewell's division being in the advance. 
.Stuart's cavalry moved on the flank so as to protect the column 
from surprise or attack from the direction of the Rappahannock 
or Warrenton. Munford reached the station near night and found 
it guarded by a company of cavalry and a company of infantry. 
The cavalry galloped off, but the infantry took to the houses, and 
while Munford's command was skirmishing with it, a train ap- 
proached from the direction of the Rappahannock, which he 
cndea\'f)red to stop or throw from the track by placing cross-ties 
in front, but the train ran over all obstacles, and escaped in the 
direction of Manassas. Hays's brigade, under Colonel Forno.soon 
arrived, and two other trains that were following were stopj^ed 
and captured by it. Munford captured some prisoners and hor.ses. 
The attention of General Jackson was now directed to the stores 



29 

and munitions at Manassas, about four miles from Bristoe, where 
it was learned a large supply had been collected. In regard to 
its capture, I give General Jackson's own word^ — He says : "Not- 
withstanding the darkness of the night, and the fatiguing march 
which would, since dawn, be over thirty miles, before reaching the 
Junction, Brigadier General Trimble volunteered to proceed there 
forthwith, with the 2ist North Carolina (Lieutenant Colonel Fulton 
commanding) and 21st Georgia (Major Glover commanding), in 
all, about 500 men, and capture the place. I accepted the gallant 
offer, and gave him orders to move without delay. In order to 
increase the prospect of success, Major General Stuart; with a por- 
tion of his cavalry, was subsequently directed to move forward, 
and, as the ranking ofhcer, to take command of the expedition. 
This duty was cheerfully undertaken by all who were assigned to 
it, and most promptly and successfully executed. Notwithstand- 
ing the Federal fire of musketry and artillery, our iniantry dis- 
persed the troops placed there for the defense of the place, and 
captured eight guns, with seventy-two horses, equipments, and 
ammunition complete, immense supplies of commissary and quar- 
termaster stores, upwards of two hundred tents; and General 
Trimble also reports the capture of o\er three hundred prisoners, 
and one hundred and seventy-five horses, exclusive of those be- 
longing to the artillery, besides recovering over two luuulred 
negroes." On the next day, the 27th, General Trimble occupied, 
with his brigade, the works constructed by our troops the yc;u- 
before. 

Ewell's division had reached Bristoe Station \ery late, and as 
soon as the place was secured and the trains caj:)tured, the three 
brigades left after Trimble was detached, were posted so as to 
cover the approaches along the rail-road from the direction ol 
Warrenton Junction. The other divisions. Hill's and Jackson's, 
bivouacked in the vicinity, and next morning were moved to the 
Junction. Soon after their arrival, a body of the enemy s infantry 
arrived on a train from Alexandria, and having gotten off the 
train, moved towards the Junction for the purpose of driving off 
the "raiding party." It was met by the fire oi two batteries and 
several brigades ot Hill's dixision, and driven back and pursued 
for some d. stance, the train on which it arrived being captured 
and destroyed, as was the rail-road bridge over Bull Run. 



30 

Ewell had bi-in left at Bristoe Station, with Lawton's. Hays's, 
and my bri^aclcs, to jjuaid tht ai)prt)ach from the direction of 
Warrenton Junrtion; but with instructions to retire in the direc- 
tion ot Manassas if a superior force ad\anced against him, as it 
was not desired to bring on a general engagement at that point. 
Lawton's brigade was posted on the left of the rail-road in advance 
of the station, Hays's on the right of it, and mine to the right of 
Hays's, but retired so as to be in echelon with it. The batteries 
were posted so as to command the front and flanks. Rosser, with 
his regiment of cavalry, was on out-post duty on our right flank. 
Colonel Forno, with some of his regiments, was sent on the morn- 
ing of this day, to destroy the bridge over Kettle Run and tear 
up the rail-road back towards the Station. He Ibund a train of 
cars beyond Kettle Run, which had just brought up a bodv of 
infantry, Init a few shots fiom a piece of artillery he had with him, 
soon sent the train back. He then left one regiment on picket in 
front, and set another to tearing up the track of the rail-road. 

It was thus that, while Pope had been resolutely looking to the 
front, without thought for his line of retreat or base of supplies. 
General Jackson had suddenly got on his line of retreat and cut 
him off from his base of supplies. As may well be conceived, this 
state of things created great confusion at Pope's head-quarters, 
and great consternation and dismay at Washington. 

Pope at first sui)j)osed it was a mere cavalry raid in small force, 
and caused one of his aides to send to Heintzelman, who had now 
joined him, the following order: " The Major General command- 
ing the army of \irginia directs me to send you the enclosed 
communication, and to request that you put a regiment on a train 
of cars and send it down immediatelv to Manassas, to ascertain 
what has occurred, repair the telegraph wires, and protect the 
rail-road there until fiu'ther orders." 

He was, however, soon undeceived, and thought perhaps it 
would be well to pay some attention to his own line of retreat, and 
leave ours to take care of itself He had now a very forcible illus- 
tration of the truth of his own declaration, that "disaster and 
shame lurk in the rear." 

Reynolds's dixision of Pennsylvania Reserves, and Heintzel- 
man's and Porter's corps from McClellan's army, and Piatt's 
brigade of Sturgis's division from Washington, had joined Pope 



31 

before this time. Other troops had evidently arrived, for in a 
letter to Halleck, dated the 25th, Pope said : "The troops arriving- 
here come in fragments. Am I to assign them to brigades and 
corps ? I would suppose not, as several of the new regiments 
coming have been assigned to army corps directly from your 
office." 

In his official report, he says: 

" As was to be expected, under such circumstances, the num- 
bers of the army under my conmiand had been greatly reduced 
by death, by wounds, by sickness, and by fatigue, so that, on the 
morning of the 27th of August, I estimated my whole effective 
force (and I think the estimate was large) as follows : Sigel's 
corps, nine thousand ; Banks's corps, five thousand ; McDowell's 
corps, including Reynolds's dixision, fifteen thousand five hun- 
dred ; Reno's corps, seven thousand ; the corps of Heintzelman 
and Porter (the freshest, by far, in that army,) about eighteen 
thcmsand men; making in all fifty-four thousand five hundred 
men. Our cavalry numbered, on paper, about four thousand ; 
but their horses were completely broken down, and there were 
not fi\e hundred men, all told, capable of doing such service as 
should be expected from cavalry," 

His own official return of the 31st of July had shown 41,140 in- 
fantry and artillery present for ciuty on that day, after the deduc- 
tion for the troops at Winchester and Front Riwal, and Reno had 
joined him with 8,000 men, making 49,140. Piatt's brigade num- 
bered 3,500, according to Pope's testimony on the trial of General 
Porter ; Reynolds's division numbered 2,500 when it joined him ; 
and putting Heintzelman's and Porter's corps at 18,000 — though, 
on the 20th of July, according to McCIellan's official return of that 
day, they numbered 37,353 aggregate for duty— and Pope's force 
of infantry and artillery should have been 73,140 effectives, with- 
out counting the new regiments he mentions. There must, there- 
fore, have been a loss of 18,640. Of that loss, 6,400 may be attri- 
buted to the confused state of Banks's mind, and, I presume, 3,000 
more to the loss at Cedar Run. What became of the balance? 

His cavalry, on the 31st of July, numbered 8,738, with 3,000 
unfit for service ; but it now numbered only 4,000 on paper, with 
3,500 unfit for cavalry service. What had become of the other 

4,738? 



32 

1 can't understand liow tlu- Fedciul annits always nunibt-rt'd so 
large on paper, and so small in the tield, as was generally the case 
according to their commanders. 

In the afternoon ot the 27th. a considerable force, which came 
up from the direction of Warrenton Junction, and proved to be 
Hooker's division of Heintzelman's corps, moved across Kettle 
Run against our adxanced regiments at Bristoe. One or two 
columns, apparently of brigades, were driven back, when the enemy 
commenced moxing towards our right, over open ground beyond 
the range of our guns, and the force whicli came in view was 
evidently much larger than the force Ewell then had. 

He, therefore, in accordance with his instructions, ordered a with- 
drawal, and directed me to cover that withdrawal with my brigade. 
Lawton's and Hays's brigades were successively withdrawn in good 
order, and then my brigade was withdrawn, taking successive lines 
of battli' back to the ford on Broad Run near the rail-road bridge- 
Lawton's brigade hatl first crossed the Run 'and formed line oi 
battle on the nortli bank, w ith some batteries in position, and then 
Hays's brigade crossed antl was t)rdered to Manassas. 

All the artillerv was safely withdrawn, a part crossing at a lord 
several hundred yards aboxc the bridge, where also one ot my 
regiments crossed. My brigade was then crossed, its rear being 
covered by Colonel Walker's regiment tieployed as skirmishers. 

As soon as my brigade was over, it was moved about a mile 
towards Manassas, by of order General Ewell, and formed in line of 
battle across the road, on high ground, in full view of the enemy, 
whose advance had now reached the station. General Ewell then 
moved back through my line with Lawton's brigade, and directed 
me to remain in position until orders were sent to me to retire, and 
to move one or two of my regiments from the flanks alternately 
with colors elevated, so as to present the appearance of the arrival 
of re-inforcements. 

This was done, and the enemy did not advance farther. The 
rail-road bridge and the captured trains had been destroyed in the 
morning. 

Shortly after dark, under orders from General Ewell, 1 moved 
to Manassas to re-join the division. 

Our loss in this affair was light ; and this is the occasion on 
which Pope claims that Hooker's division drove Ewcll'sback along 
the rail -road. 



33 

On arriving at the Junction, my men filled their haversacks with 
hard bread and salt meat, the other troops having appropriated 
the provisions of a more enticing character. After broiling enough 
of the salt meat to satisfy the hunger with which the men were 
oppressed, the brigade was moved out on the plains towards Black- 
burn's Ford on Bull Run, and bivouacked. The other brigades 
were bivouacked at intervals on the road to the same ford. 

During the night Stuart set tire to the cars and the stores that 
could not be carried off, and they were destroyed, amid a terrible 
explosion of shells that were in some of the cars. 

In the early part of the night, General Taliaferro mo\ed with 
Jackson's division and all the trains of the command on the 
Sudley road, across the Warrenton turnpike to the vicinity of the 
battlefield of first Manassas, and at one o'clock at night General 
Hill moved with his division to Centreville. Very early on the 
morning of the 28th, General Ewell moved with his division across 
Bull Run at Blackburn's Ford, and then up the Run to the vicinity 
of Stone Bridge, and there crossed over and joined Jackson's 
division. Hill's division subsequently came up from Centreville, 
and the whole command was re-uniteci north of the Warrenton 
turnpike, and facing it. These movements had been covered by 
portions of the cavalry, and were designed to mislead the enemy, 
in which object there was perfect success, 

On the 27th, Fitz Lee, with three regiments of his brigade, 
went on a raid around by Fairfax C. H. to Burkes Station on the 
rail-road, and did not return until the afternoon of the 2gth. 

On the 27th, Pope commenced the mo\'ement of his troops to 
the rear, for the purpose of looking after his line of communica- 
tions. McDowell's and Sigel's corps moved along the Warrenton 
turnpike in the direction of Gainesville, while the other corps 
moved on his right towards Manassas and Bristoe. In the mean- 
time, Longstreet had crossed the river at Hinson's mill on the 26th, 
and was following the same route taken by General Jackson, An- 
derson, who had arrived with his division, having relieved Long- 
street on the south bank of the Rappahannock. Longstreet reach- 
ed White Plains on the 27th, and on the morning of the 28th his 
advance reached Thoroughfare Gap, where a part of McDowell's 
force was posted to dispute his passage. 



34 

He succeeded, however, in forcing a ]")assage, by sendiuij a force 
diiectly on the road tlirough the Gap, while other troops were 
l).'..ssed over the Mountain on the north or left of the Gap, so as to 
turn the tlank of the enemy ; and a part of his command passed 
through the Gap that evening. 

Rosser, with his regiment, was on the south of the turnpike, 
watching the enemy from the direction of Manassas, and Colonel 
Brien with the ist \'irginia Cavalry was on the turnpike watching 
in the direction ol Gainesville, while Colonel Bradley T. Johnson, 
in connnand of Jones's brigade of Jackson's division, was near 
( iroveton with the brigade, picketing the turnpike in the direction 
of (iainesville, and a road leading from Bristoe Station across the 
turnpike towards Sudley. Stuart, with portions of Robertson's and 
Fit/c Lee's brigades, this day moved to our right to Haymarket, 
where he had a skirmish with a bodv ol the enemv while Lony- 
street's troops were engaged in Thoroughfare Gap. 

The main body of Pope's troops were now converging on 
Manas.sas, where he expected to find General Jackson's force and 
destroy it. Here is what he says in his report : " At 9 o'clock on 
the night of the 27th, satisfied of Jackson's position, 1 sent orders 
to General McDowell to push forward at the very earliest dawn of 
day towards Manassas Junction from Gainesville, resting his right 
on the Manassas Gap rail-road, and throwing his left well to the 
east. I directed General Reno to march at the same hour from 
(Greenwich, direct upon Manassas Junction, and Kearney to march 
at the same hour upon Bristow. This latter order was sent to 
Kearney to render my right at Bristow perfectly secure against the 
probable movement of Jackson in that direction. Kearney arrived 
at Bristow about 8 o'clock in the morning. Reno being on the left, 
and marching direct upon Manassas Junction, I immediately pushed 
Kearney forward in pursuit of Ewell, towards Manassas, followed 
by Hooker." 

But the bird he expected to trap had Hown, and Pope ther, 
directed his troops to move on Centreville. 

McDowell in moving towards Manassas had his left on the turn- 
pike, and in the forenoon the advance on that flank appeared in 
front of Johnson, when there was some skirmishing and fighting 
with it, in which artillery was used. Rosser also had some skir- 
mishing, and used some artillery borrowed from Johnson on some 
trains that were discovered moving in the direction of Manassas. 



35 

The approach of the enemy having been reported to General 
Jackson, he made preparations for attacking him, upon the sup- 
position that he would move along the turnpike in the direction of 
Centreville, but discovering, late in the afternoon, that the enemy 
was turning oft' in the direction of Manassas before reaching our 
front, three brigades of Jackson's division were moved to the right, 
through a body of woods and across a track that had been graded 
and excavated for a rail-road, into some fields beyond, near Braw- 
ner's house. These brigades were closely followed by Ewell's 
division, Lawton's and Trimble's brigades being moved, under 
General Ewell's immediate command, out into the fields and form- 
ed on the left of the brigades of Jackson's division, while my own 
brigade and Hays's were held in reserve, under my command, in 
the edge of the woods, with the left oi each brigade near the rail- 
road grade, Hays's being in the rear of mine. Johnson had retired 
from his position near Groveton, but had not rejoined Jackson's 
division. The line, as now formed, was parallel to the turnpike, 
and just before sunset a column of the enemy commenced moving 
past, when the three brigades of Jackson's division and the two 
with Ewell advanced to the attack. And obstinate and sanguina- 
ry engagement ensued, which lasted until after dark, artillery as 
well as infantry being used on both sides. 

At the close of the engagement, both sides maintained their 
ground, the enemy consisting of King's division of McDowell's 
corps which was bringing up the rear of McDowell's left, having 
been heavily re-inforced. An artillery fire was kept up for some 
time, but during the night King's division retired. The loss was 
heavy on both sides. The two brigades with me were not engaged, 
but were ordered to advance by General Jackson just before the 
close of the action, and my own brigade was exposed to a severe 
shelling as it moved into position near the left of Trimble's brigade. 
The advance on our part had ceased by this time, as the darkness, 
coupled with the nature of the ground in front, rendered such ad- 
vance very hazardous. Rosser had taken position on Taliaferro's 
right, with his cavalrv regiment, and rendered A-ery efficient service. 
Stuart had returned from Haymarket, but did not reach the right 
of the line until the fighting was over. None of Hill's troops were 
engaged, but some of his brigades were moved up to the vicinity 
of the battlefield, though they did not arrive to within supporting 
distance until alter the close of the engagement, (ienerals Ewell 



3^ 

and 'raliallrici were wounded, the former ha\in^ to sufter amputa- 
tion t)t a let;. CJeneral Lawton now succeeded to the command ol 
Kwell's division, and Cieneral Starke to the command of Jackson's 
1 )i\ision. 

Early on the nioiiiing ol" the 2gth, the enemy began to approach 
in hea\y force from the direction of Manassas and Centreville, it 
having been discovered that General Jackson was not to be found 
at either point. To meet the approaching forces, our troops were 
at tirst moved from the positions they occuj^ied at the close of the 
action the night before, and formed in line on a ridge which the 
rail -road grade crossed, with Ewell's division on the right, Hill's 
on the left, and Jackson's in the centre. In this position our line 
crossed the rail -road grade, with the right resting near the turnpike- 
and the left extending towards Sudley. There was some artillery 
firing from the enemy, iit long range, at this time. Stuart again 
moved out in the direction of Haymarket and Gainesville with the 
cavalry. As soon as the enemy's movements began to be devel- 
oped, General Jackson re-arranged his line so as to conform to 
them. Jack.son's division, under Starke, was formed on the right 
in the woods through which the rail-road grade ran, a little in rear 
of that grade, Hill's division on the left, with the brigades of Field, 
Thomas and Gregg in the front line on the rail-road grade, and 
Archer's, Pender's and Branch's in their rear as supports, and 
Lawtons and Trimble's brigades of Ewell's division in the centre. 
Trimble's brigade taking position on the rail-road grade, while 
Lawton's, under Colonel Douglas, was in the rear in the woods. 
My own and Hays's brigades, under my command, were moved 
about a mile to the rear of the right of the line, and posted on a 
ridge on the west side of a road called the Pageland road, which 
crosses the Warrenton turnpike. This })Osition commanded a view 
of the turnpike in frcait and large fields between it and the turnpike 
as w^ell as the Pageland road on the left. A considerable force of 
the enemy had been reported by the cavalry to be ad\'ancing on 
the road from Manassas towards Gainesville, thus threatening our 
right Hank and rear, and my orders were to watch that force and 
hold it in check. A battery of artillery had accompanied my com- 
mand, and was posted so as to command the ground in front, the 
13th and 31st Virginia regiments being posted by General Jackson, 
in person, beyond the turnpike in my fornt, in order to apprise me 
of the approach of the enemy. 



37 



Longstreet's command was now known to be approaching from 
the direction of Thoroughfare Gap, and the object of posting me 
in this position was to keep open communication with him, as well 
as to protect our right and rear. 

Several l^atteries from Ewell's and Jackson's divisions were post- 
ed behind the crest of the ridge, in the fields on the right of the 
line, and the batteries of Hill's division were posted on a ridge in 
some fields in rear of the left of his front line of infantry, — the na- 
ture of the ground beyond that flank over which the rail-road grade 
ran, rendering that grade an unsafe line to occupy, as the slope 
was towards Hill's position, and the grade here ran through 
fields. 

''The manoeuvring of General Jackson, after he got upon Pope's 
line of communications to the rear, upon the approach of the 
enemy, furnishes an exhibition of what is known as "Grand Tactics" 
which is unsurf)assed in the annals of war. By his movements, he 
had completely baffled Pope's efforts to crush him with a vastly 
superior force, and bewildered him as to his own locality, until he 
had placed his command in a strong position, where it could be 
joined by Longstreet's approaching forces, and the army be thus 
re-united under General Lee. 

But Pope was not the only one that General Jackson had mysti- 
fied on this occasion, and to show the bewilderment of the author- 
ities in and about Washington, a few extracts from the official dis- 
patches are given. 

McClellan had arrived at Alexandria on the night of the 26th, 
and on the 27th he telegraphed Heintzelman and Porter, though 
the telegram was not received, perhaps : 

"Where are you, and what is the state of affairs — what troops 
in your front, right and left ? Sumner is now landing at Aquia. 
Where is Pope's left, and what of enemy ? Enemy burned Bull 
Run bridge last night with cavalry force." 

On the 28th. Halleck telegraphed McClellan : 

"I think you had better place Sumner's corps, as it arrives, near 
the guns, and particularly at the Chain Bridge. The principal 
thing to be feared now is a cavalry raid into this city, especially in 
the night time. Use Cox's and Tyler's brigades, and the new 
troops for the same object, if you need them." 



On the 29th, he telegraphed McClellan : 

"Meagher's brigade ordered up yesterday. Fitzhugh Lee was, 
it is said on good authority, in Alexandria on Sunday last tor 
three hours." 

On same day, Mr. Lincoln telegraphed McClellan : 
"What news from direction of Manassas Junction ? What gen- 
erally ?" 

On same day, McClellan telegraphed Halleck : 

"Colonel W'agner, 2nd New York, artillery, has just come in 
from the front. He reports infantry and cavalry force of rebels 
near Fairfax Court House. Reports rumors from various sources 
that Lee and Stuart, with large forces, are at Manassas. That the 
enemy, with 120,000 men intend advancing on the forts near 
Arlington and Chain Bridge, with a view of attacking Washing- 
ton and Baltimore.'' 

Even Burnside, down at Falmouth opposite Fredericksburg, 
had got badly .scared, and at 6 P. M. on the 29th, telegraphed 
Halleck: 

"A large body of the enemy reported opposite. I am prepar- 
ing, and will hold the place until the last. The only fear I have, 
is a force coming from Manassas Junction." 

SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 

Early in the day, on the 29th, the enemy opened a heavy fire 
of artillery on General Jackson's right, and it was vigorously 
responded to by our batteries on that flank, which were moved to 
the front for the purpose, when a fierce cannonade ensued that 
lasted for several hours. The enemy also pushed forward col- 
unnis of infantry, on our left, into a body of woods that bordered 
on the rail-road grade all along the front of that portion occupied 
by our troops. There ensued a good deal of desultory fighting on 
that part of the line, in which the brigades of Thomas, Gregg, 
and . Branch were principally engaged on our side, and Sigel's 
corps on the other side — the latter being finally driven from our 
front about noon. 

]n the meantime, about or a little before 11 A. M. the head ot 
Longstrcet's command, composed of Hood's two brigades, was 
seen a(l\a:.cing along the turnpike in my front, in line of battle, 



.19 

and the rest of the command soon came following close in the 
rear, when the whole commenced taking position on both sides of 
the turnpike, and to the rear of Jackson's right. 

It was very apparent to me now, that the purpose for which I 
had been posted at the point I occupied had been completely sub- 
served by the interposition of Longstreet's forces between me and 
the force of the enemy reported to be advancing in that direction 
from Manassas, and that there was no further need for my pres- 
ence there. I therefore determined to withdraw, without waiting 
for orders, and move to the left, where I was satisfied there was 
need for the two brigades under me. Hays's brigade was at once 
sent to the leit to rejoin the division, and I proceeded to withdraw 
my two regiments from the front, which had been skirmishing, 
during the morning, with small bodies of the enemy that approach- 
ed them. As soon as they arrived, I moved the brigade to the 
woods in rear of the centre of our line on the rail -road grade, 
and reported to General Lawton. The brigade was here held 
in reserve for some time, having been joined on its left by the 8th 
Louisiana regiment of Hays's brigade, which had not been with 
its brigade during the morning. 

In the afternoon, the enemy concentrated large bodies of infantry 
in the woods in front of Hill's position, and after a fierce artillery 
fire from numerous batteries on that flank, which was responded 
to with effect by Hill's batteries, the enemy's columns of infantry 
advanced against the position on the rail-road grade occupied by 
Hill's brigades, when a fierce and obstinate engagement, or rather 
series of engagements ensued, which lasted until very late in the 
afternoon. The troops most heavily engaged on this part of the 
line, were the brigades of Gregg, Thomas, and Field, but the other 
brigades of Hill's division went to their support and became also 
heavily engaged at different periods. The attacks of the enemy 
were persistent and repeated several times, new columns moving 
forward when others had been repulsed. General McGowan, who 
subsequently succeeded to the command of Gregg's brigade, and 
General Hill, report that there were seven separate and distinct 
attacks made at this point. In one of these attacks, a force of the 
enemy succeeded in penetrating a short uncovered interval between 
Gregg's right and Thomas's left, but was repulsed after a fierce 
struggle, in which at one time the fire of the opposing forces was 
delivered at ten paces. Hays's brigade, under Colonel Forno, 



40 

went to the assistance of Hill's brigades soon after its arri\al from 
the right and aided mo^t gallantly in repulsing the enemy. Far- 
ther to the right, the enemy at another time succeeded in cross- 
ing the rail-road grade, when the brigades under Johnson and 
Stafford, respectively, moved forward to the attack, droxe tliis 
force back and crossed the grade in pursuit. The brigade under 
Johnson captured a piece of artillery and the two then returned 
to their former positions. 

About or a little after 4 P. M.,the eneni}' made his seventh and 
last assault upon ("iregg and Thomas with great fury, when, after 
a tierce struggle, their ammunition having become exhausted, they 
retired a short distance to the rear with the determination of using 
the bayonet. The enemy then crossed the rail-road grade, which 
at this point had a \ery deep cut, and occupied a skirt of woods 
adjoining it. Just at this time, one of General Hill's couriers 
came to me, w ith the information that the two l)rigades had been 
compelled to fall back from want of ammunition, and that the 
enemy was in possession of the cut. and requested me to go to 
the support of Ciregg and Thomas and recover their position, at 
the same time informing me that the orders were not to cross the 
line of the grade, but to hold that line. 

I immediatelv moved forward with m}^ Ijrigade and the 8th 
Louisiana, through an opeji held in front, and, being joined by the 
13th Georgia on m\' right, which was preparing to move forward, 
passed the brigades of Gregg and Thomas, and attacked the enemy. 

After a very brief struggle the enemy was driven across the cut, 
and the brigade, without having halted, followed in pursuit some 
two hundred yards beyond the grade, before I succeeded in stop- 
])ing it. It was tiien moved back and occupied the position from 
which Gregg and Thomas had retired. The 13th Georgia on my 
right and the 8th Louisiana on my left, had crossed at the same 
time with my brigade. After our return, the enemy opened a furi- 
ous fire from the front with cannister, but made no further advance 
with infantry. 

This was the last attack on Jackson's line on the 29th, and the 
enemy had been defeated and foiled in all of his attacks. His 
troops engaged in these assaults in the afternoon, were the corps 
of Heintzelman and Reno, supported by Reynolds's division on 
their left^ — ^Sigel's corps had been so badly worsted in the forenf>on 
that it was not able to unite in these attacks. 



41 

General Lee had ordered Longstreet to attack the enemy's left, 
on his arrival on the field about noon, but the latter, according to 
his own statements of recent date, had insisted on taking time to 
reconnoitre. 

Some of his batteries, however, were placed in position, and 
opened on . the enemy, who withdrew from his immediate front. 
Hood's brigades then took position across the Warrenton turnpike, 
west of Groveton, and were supported by Evans's brigade. Wil- 
cox, with three brigades under him, took position on the north of 
the turnpike, in rear of Hood's left, and Kemper, with three other 
brigades, took position on the south of the turnpike, in rear of 
Hood's right, while D. R. Jones, with three other brigades, was 
posted on the Manassas Gap rail-road, to the right of Kemper, and 
in echelon with respect to him. A number of Longstreet's batter- 
ies were now posted on a commanding position between General 
Jackson's right and Longstreet's line, and engaged in the pending 
artillery duel with those of the enemy. The advance of the enemy 
on the right from the direction of Manassas, which was made by 
Porter's corps, having been reported, Wilcox's brigades were sent 
to re-inforce Jones, but the enemy retired after firing a few shots, 
and Wilcox returned to his former position. Stuart, who confront- 
ed Porter's corps with his cavalry, on the road from Manassas to 
Gainesville, had amused himself by having brush dragged up and 
down the road from the direction of Gainesville, to raise a dust, 
occasionally varying the amusement by firing a shot or two from 
his artillery in the direction of the enemy. Fitz Lee returned in 
the afternoon from his raid on the enemy's communications in the 
direction of Alexandria, and took position on our left near Sudley 
Mills, to protect the trains, which had been endangered during the 
day. 

About sunset. General Longstreet ordered Hood to advance 
with his two brigades, supported by Evans's, along the turnpike 
and attack the enemy, but before Hood moved he was himself at- 
tacked by a column of the enemy which was moving along the 
turnpike in the direction of Gainesville. 

McDowell's corps, which had been with Porter's on the road 
from Manassas to Gainesville, had moved to the right and taken 
position on Pope's left, and, about sunset, Pope ordered McDowell 
to push out on the turnpike towards Gainesville and cut off Jack- 
son's retreat, under the hallucination that the latter had been de- 



42 

(eated King's division, being in the advance, encountered Hood 
just as ho was about to move forward, and a sharp action ensued, 
the enemy being driven back and pursued for some distance until 
the darkness compelled Hood to halt. At 12 o'clock at night he 
returned to his former position, and thus ended the fighting on the 
29th, our troops remaining masters of the field on every part of it. 

It is rather amusing to read some of Pope's statements about the 
fighting on this day. In his report, he says : 

"Sigcl attacked the enemy about daylight on the morning of the 
29th, a mile or two east of Groveton, where he was soon joined by 
the divisions of Kearney and Hooker. Jackson fell back several 
miles, but was so closely pressed by these forces that he was com- 
pelled to make a stand, and to make the best defence possible.'' 

Speaking of the attack by Hointzelman and Reno in the after- 
noon, he says : 

"The attack was made with great gallantry, and the whole of 
the left of the enemy was doubled back towards his centre, and 
our own forces, after a sharp conflict of an hour and half, occupied 
the field of battle, with the dead and wovmded of the enemy in our 
hands." 

At 5 A. M., on the 30th, he telegraphed Halleck in regard to 
the battle of the day before : 

"\W have lost not less than eight thousand men killed and 
wmmdod : but from the appearance of the field the enemy lost at 
least two to one." 

( General Jackson's force must have been wiped out. then. 

In the same dispatch he further says : 

"The news just reaches me from the front that the enemy is re- 
tiring towards the mountains : I go forward at once to see. We 
have made great captures, but I am not able yet to form an idea 
of their extent." 

He had certainly caught a Tartar. 

In his report, he says : 

"Every indication, during the night of the 29th. and up to 10 
o'clock on the morning of the 30th. pointed to the retreat of the 
enemy from our front. Paroled prisoners of our own. taken on 
the evening of the 29th, and who came into our lines on the morn- 
ing of the 30th, reported the enemy retreating during the whole 



night in the direction of and along the Warrenton turnpike ; 
Generals McDowell and Heintzelman, who reconnoitred the posi- 
tions held by the enemy's left on the evening of the 29th, confirming 
this statement." 

Why were we parolling prisoners ? The most remarkable thing, 
however, connected with the battle of the 29th, is, perhaps, the fact 
that one of Pope's corps commanders, General Porter, was court- 
martialed and cashiered, for not marching over Longstreet's whole 
command, and cutting off Jackson's retreat, after the latter had 
defeated and repulsed three corps of Pope's army that largely more 
than doubled Porter's entire force. 

On the morning of the 30th, our troops occupied the positions 
they held at the close of the battle the day before, with some slight 
shifting of the brigades on the rail-road grade, not necessary to 
mention. There was some heavy skirmishing in the forenoon 
along Jackson's line on the rail-road grade, especially on the left, 
but there was no assault at that time, the enemy being kept at bay. 
There was also some artillery firing on the right, which continued 
until the afternoon. 

At noon Pope issued the following order to his troops : 

"August 30th, 1862, 12 M. 

" The following forces will be immediately thrown forward in 

pursuit of the enemy, and press him vigorously during the whole 

day. Major-General McDowell is assigned to the command of the 

pursuit. 

Major-General Porter's corps will push forward on the Warren- 
ton turnpike, followed by the divisions of Brigadier-Generals King 
and Reynolds. 

The division of Brigadier-General Ricketts will pursue the Hay- 
market road, followed by the corps of Major-General Heintzelman ; 
the necessary cavalry will be assigned to these columns by Major- 
General McDowell, to whom regular and frequent reports will be 
made. The general head-quarters will be somewhere on the 
Warrenton turnpike." 

V In the afternoon, there was a slight change in the programme, 
and Porter's corps supported by King's division advanced against 
Jackson's right and Heintzelman's and Reno's corps supported, 
for a time by Ricketts's division, advanced against our left. The 



44 

assaults began about t, P. M., and were very fierce and determined, 
especially on rhc rij^ht where Jackson's division was posted but. 
were met with equal determination. 

There were at least three assaults on Jackson's division, follow- 
ing each other in succession, which were repulsed, some of the 
men of the brigades commanded by Stafford and Johnson, using 
stones when their ammunition was exhausted. I.ongstreet's bat- 
teries, by a well directed fire from the right on the Hank of the 
attacking cohmins, contributed largely to their repulse. The as- 
saults on the left were also fierce, but were successfully resisted by 
the brigades of Archer and Thomas, supported by those of Pender 
and Fields. There was no serious attack on the centre occupied 
by Ewell's division, but as one of the attacking columns was retir- 
ing from the right past our front, one or two heavy volleys were 
poured into it, and three of my regiments that were on the rail- 
road grade, suddenlv dashed across it, in pursuit, without orders, 
but were soon brought back. 

R. H. Anderson's division had arrived during the forenoon, and 
joined Longstreet's command ; and finally, about 4 P. M., after the 
last attack on Jackson's right had been repulsed, Longstreet order- 
ed his infantry to attack the enemy's left, and his troops moved 
forward, with Hood in the lead closely followed by Evans. The\- 
were rapidly supported by Anderson's di\ision, and the brigades 
under Kemper, D. R. Jones, and Wilcox. The enemy was assail- 
ed with great vigor, and he was steadily driven before Longstreet's 
advancing lines, from successive positions which he occupied, 
though at some points the assaults were stubbornly resisted for a 
time. General Jackson's command had also advanced at the same 
time in pursuit of the troops that had been repulsed, and some of 
Hill's brigades encountered and engaged a part of the retreating 
forces on the left, which they pursued to Bull Run, capturing a 
number of pieces of artillery. Jackson's and Ewell's divisions did 
did not become engaged with the enemy in the pursuit. Long- 
street's command continued to press the enemy on the right until 
his whole army was driven across Bull Run, when darkness put 
an end to the pursuit. This command captured several batteries 
of artillery. 

Near the close of the batde on this day. General Robertson, with 
a portion of his cavalry, attacked and routed a body of the enemy's 
ca\alry on the extreme right. 



45 

At the close of the battle we were masters of the entire field ; 
and, in the series of eng-agements on the plains of Manassas, we 
had captured more than 7,000 prisoners, besides 2,000 wounded 
left on our hands, thirty pieces of artillery, upwards of twenty 
thousand stand of small arms, a number of regimental colors, and 
a considerable amount of stores. Our own loss in killed and 
wounded was 7,224, including a number of valuable officers, some 
of them of high rank. 

Pope's army retired to Centreville that night, where it was re- 
inforced by Sumner's and Franklin's corps of McClellan's army. 

In his report, after having previously stated that : "Every indi- 
cation during the night of the 29th, and up to 10 o'clock on the 
morning of the 30th, pointed to the retreat of the enemy from our 
front ;" he says, two pages further on : 

"During the whole night of the 29th, and the morning of the 
30th, the advance of the main army, under Lee, was arriving on 
the field to re-inforce Jackson, so that by 12 or i o'clock in the 
day we were confronted by forces greatly superior to our own ; 
and these forces were being every moment largely increased 
by fresh arrivals of the enemy from the direction of Thoroughfare 
Gap." 

The Confederate soldier, though ragged, nearly barefooted, and 
often hungry, had a wonderful faculty of multiplying himself on the 
field of battle, so as to present the appearance of "overwhelming 
numbers" to a frightened enemy. 

On'the night of the 30th, at 9.45 P. M., Pope telegraphed Haileck : 

"We have had a terrific battle again to-day. The enemy, largely 
re-inforced, assaulted our position early to-day. We held our 
ground firmly until 6 o'clock P. M. when the enemv ma.s^ing very 
heavy forces on our left, forced back that wing about half a mile. 
At dark we held that position. Under all circumstances— both 
horses and men having been two days without food, and the 
enemy greatly outnumbering us— I thought it best to move back 
to this place at dark. The movement has been made in perfect 
order and without loss. The troops are in good heart, and 
marched off the field without the least hurry or confusion. Their 
conduct was very fine. The battle was most furious for hours 
without cessation, and the losses on both sides very heavy. The 
enemy is badly whipped, and we shall do well enough. Do not be 
uneasy. We will hold our own here." 



46 

At II A. M. next day, Halleck telcsJiaiilud IV.pe : 

"My Dear General: You have done lujblv. Don't yield 

another inch if you can avoid it. All reserves are being sent 

forward." 

Before this, at 10.45 A. j\I.. Pope had telegraphed Halleck: 

"Our troops are all here, and in position, though much used up 
and worn out. I think perhaps it would have been greatly better 
if Sunnier and Franklin had been here three or four days ago ; 
but you may rely upon our giving them as desperate a hght as I 
can force our men to stand up to. I should like to know whether 
you feel secure about Washington, should this army be destroyed. 
1 shall hght it as long as a man will stand up to the work." 

What a wonderful collapse from the tone of his salutator)- ad- 
dress to his troops is here exhibited. He had by this time learned 
a thing or two ; but his mind seems to have become as confused 
by this newly acquired knowledge as Banks's. 

On the 31st. Longstreet, with his conmiand including Ander- 
son's division, was left on the battlefield to engage the attention ot 
the enemy, and cover the burial of the dead and the remo\al of the 
wounded, while General Jackson moved his command across Bull 
Run at and below Sudley Ford, for the purpose of turning the 
enemy's right and intercepting his retreat. Moving to the left over 
counti'y roads, we reached the Little River turnpike, leading from 
Aldic past Germantown and Fairfa.x C. H. to Alexandria, late in 
the altcrnoon : and after moving on that road for a short distance 
we bivouacked for the night. On the next morning (ist of Sep- 
tember) the march was resumed, Hill's division being in the ad- 
vance. At Ox Hill, near Chantilly, a large force of the enemy was 
encountered, in the afternoon, which had been moved out in thai 
direction to cover Pope's retreat along the turnpike from Centre- 
ville to Fairfax C. H. He had now ascertained that it was very 
necessary to look out for his line of retreat, as well as his base oi' 
supplies. Hill at once attacked the enemy with a part of his divi- 
sion, and Ewell's division also moved up and became engaged. 

There was a sharp conflict which lasted until near night, in which 
the elements took part with a severe thunder-storm ; and two of 
the Federal Generals, Kearney and Stevens, were killed. At tin- 
close of the fight, we held po.ssession of the field, and tlie enemy 



47 

retired during the night. The troops encountered on this occasion 
belonged to McDowell's and Reno's corps, and Kearney's division, 
there being also some troops newly arrived from Alexandria and 
Washington, of which Hooker had command. Longstreet's com- 
mand came up at night after the action had closed. 

The next morning it was discovered that Pope had now learned 
the art of retreating so well, that it was impracticable to intercept 
him, and he was permitted to take refuge in the fortifications of 
Washington, without further molestation. 

Thus endeci the campaign of August, 1862. 

In a few days Pope was relieved from his conimand, and sent to 
the Northwest to look after the Indians in that quarter, so that he 
never again had the opportunity to look at the backs or laces of 
the "rebels." 

Sitting Bull had not then made his appearance on the theatre oi 
war, or we might never more have heard of Major General John 
Pope. 

RESUME OF THE CAMPAIGN. 

It is impossible at this day to give the exact strength of the forces 
engaged on our side in this campaign, from the Rapidan to Ox 
Hill, as the returns, if regularly made, have been lost or destroyed. 
I have given the estimate of General Jackson's strength at the bat- 
tle of Cedar Run, and in the subsequent campaign it could not have 
exceeded that estimate — that is, about 20,000 officers and men for 
duty, in his infantry and artillery. His effective strength, that is, 
enlisted men for duty who bear arms, was probably about 18,500. 
General Longstreet's command consisted of his own division of six 
brigades, divided into two sub-divisions of three brigades each, D. 
R. Jones's division of three brigades, Hood's division of two bri- 
gades, and Evans's brigade. 

On the 2oth of July, according to the official returns as given by 
Colonel Walter H. Taylor, in the work 1 have referred to, the 
strength of that command, with the exception of Drayton's brigade 
which had been added to Jones s division, and Evans's brigade. 



48 



both oJ which arrived from the South alter the 20th ol July, was 
as follows ; 



Longstreet's division, 
D. R. Jones's division, 
Hood's [Whiting's] dixision, 



Officers. 


Enlisted Men 


557 


7.929 


213 


3.500 


252 


3,600 



Total, 1,022 15,029 

General Mvans, in his report, says that his brigade had an aggre- 
gate for duty, on the 30th of July, of 1,862, which was subsequently 
increased to 2,200 by the addition of the 23rd South Carolina reg- 
iment. There is no return of the strength of Drayton's brigade, 
but Colonel Taylor, on the authority of the Adjutant General of 
the brigade, puts the aggregate tor duty of that brigade and Evans's 
at 4,600,* of which at least 350 must have been officers. Long- 
street's strength, therefore, before the arrival of Anderson's division, 
was about 1.372 officers and 19,279 enlisted men, or an aggregate 
of 20,651. Anderson's division, according to the return of July 
2oth. was 357 officers and 5,760 enlisted men for duty, which would 
give Longstreet, with Anderson's division added to his command, 
1,729 officers and 25,039 enlisted men, or an aggregate of 26,768 
for duty. Colonel Taylor estimates the artillery at 2,500 and the 
cavalry at the same number, which would give an aggregate of the 
entire force of 51,768, and an effi^ctive force of less than 49,000, 
without making any deduction for losses. 

The divisions of D. H. Hill and McLaws, two brigades under 
]. (1. Walker, and Hampton's brigade of cavalry ,t which had been 
left near Richmond, and were ordered up after the entire evacua- 
tion of Harrison's Landing, did not join us until after the fight at 
Ox Hill, and Pope had taken refuge under the fortifications of 
W'ashington. 



*NOTE. — This must be an over-estimate, as Drayton's brigade had only three 
regiments and a batallion. The estimate would give tliat brigade 2,400, or an 
average ot 600 for the three regiments and one batallion. Rather too much 
tor Confederate regiments at that day. The lirigade was so small after Sharps- 
burg, though its losses had not been severe in the canijiaign, that the regiments 
and batallion of" which it was compo.sed were distributed among other brigades. 

fNOTE. — General Hampton has informed me that his brigade wiis up by the 
Ist of September; but it had not arrived in time to take part in any of the pre- 
vious actions, and tlie other commands, being inlantrv, did not arrive until the 
2nd, 



General McClellan, in his official report, shows that, by the ist 
of March 1862, he had organized an army of 193,142 men for duty, 
who were in and about Washington, or within easy reach thereof 
He had carried largely more than 100,000 of that army to the 
Peninsula, leaving the rest to defend the Federal Capital. Fre- 
mont had brought his corps, which was largely from Missouri and 
the West, to the Valley in the month of May, and his corps num- 
bered 15,000 or 20,000. Burnside, in July, had brought about 
13,000 men from North Carolina to the vicinity of Fredericksburg, 
8,000 of which had been sent to Pope on the 14th of August. The 
whole of McClellan's army, which he had at Harrisons Landing, 
except one division of Keys's corps, had been sent to Pope, though 
Sumner's and Franklin's corps did not reach him until the 31st of 
August, and Couch's division of Keys's corps joined him at Fairfax 

C. H. on the ist of September, the day of the fight at Ox Hill. 
Moreover, Cox had arrived from the Kanawha Valley with 7,000 
men. It was then what was left of some 220,000 or 230,000 men, 
that General Lee's army of about 50,000 men had forced to take 
refuge in the defences of Washington to escape destruction.* 

What had become of the balance ? 

It may be said that a great many had been lost in the previous 
campaigns, in the Valley and around Richmond. But McClellan's 
official return of the 20th of July shows more than 90,000 men for 
duty, exclusive of Dix's corps at Fortress Monroe. Pope acknowl- 
edges that he had 43,000 in the beginning, after striking off 6,400 
men for Banks's corps from his own official return, and he had 
been joined by 8,000 men under Reno and 3,500 under Piatt. 
Here then were at least 140,000, after making an allowance for 
Keys's absent division, and not counting Cox's 7,000, the balance 
of Sturgis's command, or the new troops mentioned by Halleck 
and Pope. But Pope says his men and horses were much used up 
and worn out, and without food. Well, I suppose the poor "rebels" 
were living in clover all this time. There is one advantage we 

*NOTE. — The army of General Lee in the campaign against McClellan did 
not exceed 80,000 officers and men, as I have demonstrated on another occasion. 
The only re inforcements he received from the South, or any other quarter, 
after that campaign and previous to the campaign against Pope, consisted of 
the brigades of Evans and Drayton, and perhajjs two Alabama regiments. Some 
of the troops engaged in the "Seven Days Battles," besides the divisions of 

D. H. Hill, McLaws, and J. G. Walker, were left near Kichmond, and did not 
participate at all in the campaign against Pope, or that into Maryland. 



50 

had over Pope very certainly — we had nothing- for him to capture, 
and we got into his supply train at Manassas; l)ut even tliat did 
not last very long. On the night of the ist of September, at Ox 
Hill, I made my dinner and my supper on two ears of green corn, 
w hich I roasted by the fire while sitting on the damp ground ; and 
on the next day, while pass ng through my brigade, I saw the 
rations being issued to my men, and they consisted exclusively of 
cold boiled fresh beef, without salt or bread. I helped myself to a 
small chunk, which I munched to still the cravings of hunger. 
There were few, if any, in our army, from the highest to the lowest, 
any better off than I was. 

I will give you one more and the last quotation from Pope's 
official report. He had said in his address to his troops : "I have 
come to you from the West, where we have always seen th.e backs 
of our enemies — from an army whose business it has been to seek 
the adversary and beat him when found, whose policy has been 
attack and not defence;" and in a dispatch to Kearney at 9 P. M. 
on the 27th: "Jackson, A. P. Hill, and Ewell are in front of us. 
Hooker has had a severe fight with them to-day. McDowell 
marches upon Manassas Junction from Gainesville to-morrow at 
day-break. Reno upon the same place at the same hour. I want 
you here at day-dawn, if possible, and we will bag the whole crowd." 
Yet he has the following doleful reflections in the concluding part 
of his official report : 

"To confront, with a small army, vastly superior forces ; to fight 
battles without hope of victory, but only to gain time, and to em- 
barrass and delay the forward movement of the enemy, is of all 
duties, the most hazardous and the most difficult that can be im- 
posed upon any General or any army. While such operations re- 
quire the highest courage and endurance on the part of the troops, 
they are, perhaps, unlikely to be understood or appreciated, and 
the results, however successful, have little in them to attract popu- 
lar attention and applause. At no time could I have hoped to fight 
a successful battle with the immensely superior force of the enemy 
which confronted me, and which was able at any time to out-flank 
me and bear my small army to the dust." 

"O, what a fall was there, my countrymen !" 

The result of this campaign was that Virginia was cleared of the 
invading army, except at Fortress Monroe and its vicinity, Norfolk 



51 

where the enemy's men-of-war and gun-boats enabled him to hold 
his position, the fortifications covering Washington on the South, 
and North-western Virginia, where traitors and renegades, under 
the protection of Federal bayonets, had established a bastard State 
Government. Even the Kanawha Valley had been cleared of the 
enemy, as the withdrawal of troops from that quarter, for the 
defence of Washington, had enabled Loring to penetrate into the 
Valley and drive the enemy from it. 

There have been criticisms of the strategy employed by General 
Lee in sending Jackson to the rear of Pope, thus dividing his army 
and placing the smaller portion between two hostile forces of supe- 
rior numbers. This is said by some to have been in violation of 
the established rules of war. Genius is trammelled by no arbitrary 
rules, but is able to burst the fetters which bind ordinary intellects. 
With vastly inferior forces and resources, if General Lee had 
conformed to the ordinary rules of war, he would, perhaps, have 
taken some defensive position and waited until the enemy had 
accumulated forces sufficient to overwhelm him, or retired before 
the enemy's superior numbers, thus giving up the whole country 
his troops were fighting for, and gradually losing his army by 
exhaustion and desertion. But he knew that it was necessary to 
make up for the deficiency in other respects by activity, energy, 
genius. 

We are told that, when the young Napoleon made his first cam- 
paign in Italy, he startled the European Generals of the old school 
by his disregard of the recognized tactics and science of war, and 
they thought him wild and crazy, but he defeated his opponents 
nevertheless. And so some military critics, of the red tape order, 
may think General Lee committed a great blunder on this occasion, 
but it was a very successful blunder, 

A General should be able to understand his opponent, as well 
as the instruments he himself employs. 

General Lee thoroughly understood Pope, and he knew, and 
fully appreciated General Jackson. In a letter to General Porter, 
written in July, 1870, General Lee, in a very few plain words, ex- 
pressed volumes — he said : 

" I had no anxiety for Jackson at 2nd Manassas. I knew he 
could hold on till we came, and that we should be in position in 
time." 



.52 

There was no man in all our armies who was so bold and daring; 
in his strategy and his operations as General Lee, and the difficulty 
he labored under was to tind agents to carry out the plans he 
designed. General Jackson was just the man he wanted. What- 
ever General Lee devised or suggested, General Jackson was ready 
to carry out promptly and without question or cavil as to its feasi- 
bility. The confidence they had in each other was mutual, and 
there was no man in all the South, whether in or out of the army, 
upon whom the loss of General Jackson fell so heavily as upon 
General Lee. In this campaign against Pope, General Jackson 
displayed greater ability and resources than on any other occasion, 
because the circumstances by which he was surrounded required 
such display ; and he fully justified the confidence reposed in him 
by General Lee. 

And now, my comrades, when called upon for a defence or 
justification of the cause in which you were enlisted, you can point 
proudly and confidently to the characters of the great leaders 
whom you followed — Lee and Jackson — for your complete vindi- 
cation. 

When the captive Israelites sat down by the rivers of Babylon 
and wept, the sacred psalmist put into their mouths the following 
language : 

" If I forget thee, O, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her 
cunning." 

" If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of 
my mouth ; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." 

I trust that every faithful soldier of the Army of Northern Vir- 
ginia is ready to exclaim with me : 

" If ever I disown, repudiate, or apolog'ze for, the cause for which 
Lee fought and Jackson died, let the light nings of Heaven blast me, 
and the scorn of all good men and true women be my portion." 




MAJ. GEN'L I. R. TRIMBLE. 



T[iE jp^ ^m ^^m 



-OF THE- 







bI tfe Ir 




& 



0F THE CBNFEDE^^'FE ^T^TE^ 



IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND. 



HELD AT 



THE CARROLLTON HOTEL, 



F:EBIlTIj^Rir 22, 1SS3. 



The ^ocietij of the J^mij \M^ of the donfeder^ate ^tiate^ 



IN THE STATP: ok MARYLAND. 



The Society of the Army and Na\y of the Confederate States 
in the State of Maryland is the Maryland Divisicjn of the Associa- 
tion of the Ami}- of Northern Virginia, formed at Richmond, 
Virginia, in 1S70, of which the Dixision of Louisiana, at New 
Orleans is a strong and enthusiastic auxiliary. 

The Society in Maryland was organized so as to embrace all 
Confederates, without regard to the branch or locality of service. 

It has recently added a Beneficial Society to its machinery, and 
an awakening enthusiasm, and interest, has been aroused, which 
will largely increase its membership and consequent usefulness. 

The Third Annual Banquet of the Society took place at the 
Carrollton Hotel, after the conclusion of General Early's address 
and w^as attended by a large and enthusiastic assemblage — about 
one hundred and seventy five gentlemen sat down to the entertain- 
ment. 

It was presided over by General Bradley T. Johnson, the Pres- 
ident, with General Early on his right, General Wade Hampton 
on his lelt. General Trimble, General Stuart, Lt. Col. J. R. Her- 
bert, Captain Waddell, Colonel Herbert, late of the 8th Alabama, 
now Member of Congress from that State, Rev. W. M. Dame, 
Hon. J. F. C. Talbott, late private 2nd Maryland Cavalry, now 
Member of Congress from Maryland, Major H. Kyd Douglas, 
Colonel J. Lyle Clarke, Captain McHenry Howard and many other 
prominent Confederates from the State. 

After an earnest discussion of the Bill of Fare, the President 
arose and called the meeting to order and read the Toasts. 



®xix Tnvdnfvi\, 

Witli hearts as li^lit as tlu>ir haversacks, l)ia as true and stead 
fast as the l)arrels of their muskets, thev fouji;lit hunger, lianl- 
ship aud overwhelniinn nuiiiliers for four years; tlie sim- 
ple reeital of their deeds is their higliest enciitnium. 

HKSI'ONDKI) TO 15 V 

TRIMBLE'S Division, A. N. Va 



(Bxw ©aaiulr^. 



First ill the front, hist in tiie rear. The Artillery rested some- 
times ; the Infantry rarely; tlie Cavalry, never. 

Rf^POXDKI) TO BY 

A. A. G. CusTis Lee'S Division, A. N. Va. 

Thougli occasionally their room was better than their company. 

by rea.son of the marked attention wliich they attracted from 

the enemy, a.s a rule the}' were very welcome — except 

to the people ojjposite. 

RKSI'ONDKD TO BY 

McIntosh's Battalion Artillery, A. N. Va. 

Ready for service wherever duty called ; in tiie batteries at .\c(piia 

Creek, or in the breast-works at Petersburg; from Hampton 

Roads to Moliile Bay, in tlic houi- of disa.ster not less than 

in the day of victory ; tliey added lustre to the cause 

they loved ; they made all seti^s acquainted witli 

our flan; ; they bore it farthest and they 

furletl it last. 

RESPONDED TO BY 

C. S. S. S. Shenandoah. 



OUR DEAD. 

RESPOXDKI) TO BY 

Private 1st Richmond Howitzers, A. N. Va. 
Mr. Dame made a telling speech, but it was not repnrtei 



''OUR INFANTRY." 

" WM heai'ts as light as their haversacks, but as true and 

steadfast as the barrels of their rmiskets, they fought 

hunger, hardships and overivhelviing numbers for four 

years ; the simple recital of their deeds is their 

h ighest encoin iu m . ' ' 

Mr. President, Comrades and Friends. 

I was at a loss at first, to understand why the Committee 
selected me — a mounted officer — to speak for the Infantry. For 
t7('o out of four years of the war, I had but one foot I could call 
my own ; the other being in the hands of the manufacturers. But 
I discovered the delicate irony intended to cover my defect ; that 
being literally a foot soldier it was appropriate that I should speak 
for the Infantry. 

Our Infantry ! What a theme for the orator, the historian and 
the poet ! No one has done nor for a long time can do it justice. 

From the igth of April, 1861, when volunteers began singly 
and in squads to cross that Ri\er, which only divides, but does 
not separate Maryland from grand, glorious Old Virginia ; and to 
hasten from the Ranches of Texas ; the glades of Louisiana ; the 
cotton fields of Mississippi and Alabama, of Oeorgia, of Florida, 
and South Carolina, and from the dark mountains and sombre 
pines of the "Old North State ;" to the day they laid down their 
arms under the apple tree at Appomattox ; the exploits of the 
Infantry surpassed in heroism and endurance those of any record- 
ed in the history of modern warfare. 

What marching and fighting ! What privations in food and 
clothing ! What sublime endurance in unprotected camps and in 
long marches in drenching rains, in winter's cold and in summer's 



heat! What enthusiasm exhibited as engagements with the enemy 
approached and with what intrepid valor in the shock ot conflict! 
These deeds have given the Infantry of the South, a name not 
inferior to anv of modern limes, and that will li\'e in history and 
verse, as long as chivalric deeds shall excite the admiration ot 
mankind. 

No voice nor pen can do justice to the wonderful exj^loits of 
the Southern Soldier; to brave, patient, indomitable "Johnny Reb." 
I know that I am no orator, but why should I not try to extol 
his prowess ? We marched together ; we fought together ; we 
starved together. That superb Brigade (the 7th) composed of 
the 2ist Georgia, 21st North Carolina, 15th Alabama and i6th 
Mississippi, with that unmatched battery of the "boy" Latimer — 
the peer of any in the service — all by their splendid fighting, made 
me a Major General. I therefore owe them something. 

From the day I first led them into battle in Jackson's glorious 
campaign and only left them when wounded at 2d Manasses ; it 
was their splendid behavior there, and in after batdes, which 
promoted from their officers, 7 Brigadiers and 6 Major Generals. 
Yes my comrades ; but it was not the 7th Brigade alone which 
conferred such honors. It was the me}i of the Brigades every- 
where; who by their courage and "dash" made all our command- 
ers in the Army of Northern Virginia and in the South and West, 
save Lee and Jackson. They were Nature's Heroes. They were 
made by the hand of the Great Father above, who commands 
the Armies in Heaven and on Earth. 

Yes, although able chieftains planned campaigns and directed 
skillful manoeuvres in the field, it was "Johnny Reb" who won the 
battles, and yet was never promoted. I think I will attempt this 
evening to do him tardy jusdce, and appoint him, over all grades, 
to the rank of " General Johnny Reh." He was as great as any of 
our chieftains ; and if there was any one greater than he, it was 
"Johnny Reb's" wife. Did not she enlist nearly all our soldiers, 
xvithout paying one dollar of ''bounty" and send them to the field 
to join hands and hearts with the sons of glorious Old Virginia ? 
And if they had not "marched pretty quick," there would have been 
fought more domestic "scrimmages" "away down South in Dixie," 
than Lee and Jackson fought in Virginia. Well ! they did "obey 
orders," and come. And who of us here, my comrades, would 
not have done the same, and freely shed the last drop of his blood 



lor woman's protection and a mother's approving- smile. Yes ! 
they came with high resolve to defend a cause which they believed 
to be right. How many of them came too, to fill "unnamed" 
graves ? 

But what a picture, in general, did they present when first 
among us in Richmond ? No gay uniforms ; no martial step ; no 
florid faces ; no erect forms ; true some from cities did come 
"bedecked in all the panoply of war." Who that had seen the 
gaudy splendor of "trained armies," could suppose that these half 
bent, lounging forms would ever make good soldiers. I confess 
I had my doubts and only hoped for success in their proverbial 
bravery and their sure skill with the musket. "Johnny" could 
shoot deer and squirrels at home with the rifle, then why could 
he not hit a Federal Soldier ? 

How were we all mistaken in their fighting and marching qual- 
ities, and in their almost sublime patience under bitter hardships 
of all kinds ? 

In after days when they won battles, well might Swinton, a 
Northern historian, call them ''that incomparable Infantry with 
bright muskets and ragged jackets." 

Well ! so "our Johnny Rebs" were drilled in haste and formed 
into Regiments and Brigades, the greater number armed with 
old flint-lock muskets, converted into percussion locks ; but in 
every battle he picked up better arms, dropped in a hurry, by 
Yankee "braves." 

The Brigades of the Army were the proper nucleus of its 
organization and strength; of its "Esprit de Corps"; its reliance 
in the stern conflict and for the dashing charges that won the day. 

Brigades were handled with more facility and expedition on the 
march and in the battle. The men knew well their Brigade com- 
manders who were ever present with them, to share the toils and 
exposures of the service, as well as the perils of battle. And if 
"Johnny" had faith in his Brigadier; could hear his voice, or see 
his form ; things always "went right." 

■ I have said the men of Brigades made all our Generals. They 
also did some discourteous things in anotherzvay. They cashiered 
in a very reckless manner ; without intending to hurt their feelings, 
some six or seven commanding Generals on the Federal side, and 
made "Old Joe Hooker" and others of that sort "get out of the 
way." 



When was it that some Brigade was not called on to repel an 
advance? or by a charge to end a battle? and where was it tliat 
with such officers as Taylor, Gordon, Winder, Hoke, Wilcox, 
Lane, Early, Hampton, Johnson and Herbert, and a score of 
others like them; that the Infantry ever failed to win the day? 
How was it at \}^^ first and second Manassas ? How in Jackson's 
Valley Campaign? How at Coal Harbor? How at Fredericks- 
burg ? How at Chancellorsville ? And how in that indomitable 
struggle in the wilderness and at Spottsylvania Court House against 
odds of 3 to I ? How everywhere in a charge, save at Malvern Hill 
and Gettysburg, where impossibilities were attempted, but where 
the "boys" could show how they scorned death if they could not 
conquer? And how was it my comrades, when that Brigade 
cheer "that appalling rebel yell" as Yankees called it — once heard, 
never forgotten — which for four years of bloody strife sent back its 
echos to every battlefield in "Old Virginia?" 

There is no need to answer these questions. Time and just his- 
tory have answered them all ; and told that this triumphant cheer 
was everywhere the harbinger of victory ; and when heard afar 
amid the discords of battle, "we-uns" knew that "you-uns" had 
finished the work in hand. 

THE VALLEY CAMPAIGN. 

Some of us Marylanders were in that brilliant campaign of Jack- 
son, and we knew that some "pretty tall" marching as well as 
fighting was done there. It was there that the Southern Soldier, 
unused at home to walking any distance, or "toating" any burden, 
(always choosing to saddle his horse tor a long ride of half a mile 
to visit a neighbor,) first exhibited his wonderful powers of endur- 
ance and resolution. Such marching quahties introduced that 
new feature in the organization of an army. — The Foot Cavalry. 

DISTANCE MARCHED BY JACKSON. 

On a fair computation of the distances marched from the battle 
of Kearnstown to McDowell and thence back and forth to the 
end of the campaign at Port Republic ; over 500 miles were made 
in 90 days, inclusive of time given to batdes and reorganization of 
forces at Conrad's store. Deducting for battles and imperative 
halts, these troops marched an average of 12 miles a day, many 
days 30 miles in spite of heat, rains and bad roads. 



In this period they fought five decisive battles, winning all but 
one, (and that not a defeat) against adversaries all around them, 
numbering in the aggregate four vien to Jackson's one. When 
escaping from the snares that beset his path and reaching Stras- 
burg on the evening of May 31st ; McDowell on his left, was near 
Front Royal with 30,000 men, only 12 miles from Strasburg. 
Fremont was at Wardensville on his right, 20 miles from Strasburg; 
with 14,600 men — both together numbering near 45,000 men ; 
while Banks, south of the Potomac and but 50 miles from Stras- 
burg, had 14,000 men, (but Jackson never took much account of 
Banks, save for his commissary stores.) Thus making four times 
the force of Jackson's 15,000. And yet the Federal forces missed 
their prey. Jackson was out of their toils and the "Foot Cavalry" 
did it. Winder had marcher over 50 miles in 30 hours. Is it 
surprising that Lincoln was scared and that the World gazed in 
wonder? Or that another S7nall batch of 100,000 men was 
called for to defend Washington ? Such marching and fighting 
has no example in military history since the conquest of Gaul by 
Caesar. 

The only occasions when our Infantry could not surpass the 
Federals in marching, were those when the latter were "going to 
the rear." I have often wondered at the surprising "nack" they 
had in getting away from us. I suppose it was because they went 
"in light marching order," without knapsack, musket or overcoat. 

"STAYING." 

Of all the soldier-like qualities of "Johnny Reb," the most 
conspicuous was what is known on "the turf," as the "staying" 
quality, as well illustrated in the ''Old North State," as in any 
other. If hungry, he stayed\\\xn<gxy with a patience beyond belief 
If eating, by chaiice, a good supper ; he stayed at it a long time. 
If ordered to march, he stayed struggling on the best he could. 
If ordered to hold a position, he stayed there. If ordered to a 
charge, he stayed "agoing" until the enemy were out of sight. It 
is true "Johnny did sometimes stay behind — not to "skulk," — but 
to drag his weary body along with all the strength left in him. 
And when a fight was on hand, he happened somehow to be there. 

It was General Lee's profound confidence in the steady valor 
and "staying" quality of his troops that made him boldly encounter 
on all occasions, the great odds against him. As at Fredericksburg 



lO 

aiul Chaiict'llursN ilU, Iwf) to oiu-. In the Wilderness, three to 
one. deneral (irant hatl 145,000 men, Lee but 43,000 the first 
(lay, (and at no time after, more than 54,000 men) — and these, 
fighting the /i?-st day lor the most part in Brigades against over- 
welming odds : at one time, against odds of ten to one. Be it 
always remembered that from the beginning of that fierce struggle 
in the Wilderness to the end of the contest at Coal Harbor — that 
is, from the 5th of May to the 3d of June. — General Grant's losses 
in killed and wounded were more in numbers, than General Lee's 
entire Army, causing General Grant to send on the 7th of May 
for reinforcements, at Washington and from other points.* 

For the two first years of the War, victory perched on the ban- 
ners of the Southern Army. Everywhere in Virginia, at Bull Run 
and Manassas ; in Jackson's Valley Campaign against Banks, at 
McDowell, Winchester, Cross Keys and Port Republic ; in the 
seven days around Richmond — at Gaines' Mill, Coal Harbor, 
Savage Station, Fraser's Farm, and Malvern Hill. Five battles 
in 7 days. Then again, at Slaughter's Mountain, and at second 
Manassas where there were 3 days fighting and 3 victories. Then 
at Fredericksburg and at Chancellorsville. Yes my comrades, 
continuous victories for two years. 

Well appointed Federal Armies failed in five attempts to march 
on Richmond and were driven out of Virginia by Confederate 
forces, never more than one-half of those opposed to them, and 
often less than one-third ; and all the time with inferior arms, 
clothing and equipments ; and vastly, inferior Commissary and 
Quarter Master's and medical stores, hospital supplies, &c., «S:c. 



""General Grant entered the "Wilderness'" with 14;"), 000 men of all arms. 

1 liave tlie antlioritv ol' Colonel Chai-Jes Marsluili, for stating- that (Jenei-al 
Lee's force when lie left Mine l^un was not over 4;{,(iOO men. With i)art ol' 
Lwell's eoi-ps, \w tiei'cely assailed the j-'ederal advance on the oth May :ind 
drove hack pai'ts of //(/vc corps. 

On the 7th at noon, Lnniistreet arrived with 11,000 men, anil drove hack the 
Federal ri^ht, with fji'eat slaughter. I.ee's aggregate then ninnliei-ed r>4,000 
men. The contest was fiercely waged, daily, until tlie 13th. when (ii'ant's forces 
were everywhei-e repulsed, lie then called for reinforcements fn mi Wa>]i- 
ington ; and did not resume tlie ollensive until (he ISth nreckenridge and 
Hoke joined Lee with 12,00(1 men. just heforc the bloody contest at Coal 
Harbor, by which time (rrant had ret'cived re-inforcementsamonntingtf) 45,000 
men, making his aggregate forces, that crossed the Happaliannock 100,000 men. 
Genei'al Lee's aggregate, inclusive of I^i-eckem-idgc and Iloke did not i-xceed 
(i6,000 It is a significant fact, that, notwithstanding the aiiijile appliancesof 
the Federal :irmy, their dead, in these battles, wi-re lel't uuburied and ihe 
wounded left on the field uucared for. 



II 

It is well known that ample and regular supplies of food and 
clothing contribute greatly to the good discipline, high spirits 
and morale of an army — the best assurance of victories. Their 
deficiency ; to its discontent, depression of spirits, and that absence 
of enthusiasm, which is often-times the precursor of defeat. 

Now it is beyond dispute that no armies since the beginning 
of this century were so completely equipped as were those of the 
Federal Government ; while it is equally indisputable that those 
of the South were as signally deficient in all these essential requi- 
sites. Hence to great inferiority of numbers might be added the 
supposed disheartening influence of scanty and irregular supplies 
of all kinds, to impair the efficiency of the Southern Soldier. 
But in such a cause and with such leaders, these privations, but 
added to their strengtli ; and it was found to be true of the South- 
ern Infantry, as of Soldiers in all armies that "poverty, privation 
and want are the school of the good soldier." If these could 
make soldiers, then Lee's army was the best training scJwol the 
world has ever known. 

To truly describe the general condition of our men seems now 
like gross exaggeration. In my brigade when marching on Win- 
chester, May 24th, twenty five per cent, of the men were bare footed 
and the rest with shoes, only in name. ' It was a rare thing to see 
a soldier with overcoat, or blanket, or knapsack. Ne.\t day how- 
ever, General Banks's stores in Winchester supplied them with all 
these most needed wants as well as abundant rations. 

I once heard of a man in the West, who had invented a boat to 
run in very low water, to keep open the navigation of the Ohio in 
summer months. It would run in iico feet, one foot, six inches of 
water ; in fact, if no water could be found, he said it would run 
where the ground was only a little moist. 

I think "Johnny Reb's" appetite much resembles the wonder- 
ful performance of that western boat. It would carry him along 
with only a little bacon grease, or even with the smell of Banks's 
commissary stores — Hams all cooked ready for us. 

If any one doubts the superiority of the Southern Soldier, let 
him suppose the relative numbers in battles reversed, and then ask 
what would have been the result ? 

Would the ablest and boldest of the Federal Generals have 
been rash enough to hurl 50,000 of their best men against Lee in 



12 

coniniand of 100,000 Southern Infantry ? If they had done so, 
who can doubt what the result would have been ? 

It was often said by ^'ankee Soldiers in social converse on the 
picket line, "Oh ! if we had such generals as Lee and Jackson, we 
could whip you." Does not this idea admit the superiority of 
our soldiers and generals as fully as any one can exjject.'^^ 

DESERTION. 

I would like, if time permitted, to say a word about deserticjns. 

"johnny" did not understand the meaning of "desertion," as 
detined by "the Articles of War." He probably never taxed him- 
self with reading such "heavy stuff", and I don't think they were 
ever read to him on "parade inspectioi\." 

He thought it no harm to go home after a hard campaign, tell 
his story of battles, see "the old folks at home" and return in time 
for another fight. 

I well remember, after our battles around Richmond, when we 
were recuperating our exhausted strength at Liberty Mills ; that 
the Colonel of the 21st North Carolina regiment came to my tent 
one morning and reported that forty men, the night before, had 
left his command. I said "Colonel this is a very serious matter 
and must be promptly attended to ; can't these men be pursued 
and arrested ? He "thought they could not be, until they reached 
their homes, but the effect of arresting" them, and of trying them 

*NOTE. — The Sontliern Soldier was full of expedients for bettering his 
condition ; by mitigating the pangs of hunger ; by supplying deficiency in 
clothing, and by restoring the freijuently exiiaustcd aniniunitioji. His ingenuity 
invented "Stone Soap" and raw hide shoes : and the appropriation of the arms, 
aiiHunnition, knapsacks, &c., of dead or defeated enemies, often restored his 
exluuisted supplies of these articles. His confidence, coolness and bravery 
never forsook him on the march, or in the conflict ; and liis propensity for fun 
and jest broke out in tlu^ midst of dangers in tiie heat of battle. Said a Sol- 
dier to Ins comrade, in a lull of battle in the "Wilderness" : "Taint no use 
to shoot tliese Yankees, if you kill ten of em, twenty ste))S into their places — 
but tlie dead 'uns' act fair, they leave us their loaded nuiskets." "Come out of 
these boots, my friend," as a Soldier said when taking that article from a dead 
enemy. 

It is a well authenticated fact, that in tlie severe and bloody conflict in the 
IF^7fZen^ess, against numbers, wliicli would liave been overwhelming on open 
ground, our men ingenuously supplemented their deficiency of numbei's, by 
collecting on many occasions, arms-full of muskets and cartridge boxes from 
dead or defeated enemies, carrying them to the rear; ready for the next on- 
slaught of Grant's forces. Saying "Its a {)ity to waste so much fine amuni- 
tion, and I reckon thar is no orders agin shooting Yankees with their own 
guns. It saves taking prisoners." 



13 

and sentencing them to be shot would have a bad effect and 
deter effectually, other citizens from that State from entering the 
Army." "But Colonel that matter is not for us to consider; 
desertion in this wholesale way must be stopped." "But," he 
rejoined, "General these men are not really deserters, they will 
come back again in two weeks or so, if let alone ; and if I am 
not much mistaken, will bring more men with them." I was 
so much impressed by what he said, that I concluded to try 
the experiment and say no more about it. Before the expiration 
of the three weeks, the Colonel appeared one morning with a 
cheerful face, and said — "Well General my deserters have all 
come back." "Forty of them." I replied, "this is good news." 
"Yes" he said, "but the best news is, that they have brought back 
with them thirty one new recruits." 

This presented certainly, a novel condition of things, and 
might well call for some modification of the "Articles of War" in 
relation to "desertion." 

In calling up these men, I delivered, with as much gravity as I 
could assume, a lecture on the evil of desertion, which might, as 
practiced by them, disband the whole army, at a crisis in military 
movements. I then dismissed them with what I thought the keen- 
est reproach I could utter, viz: "How would you have felt, men, 
if we had fought a battle when you were away?" One of them 
replied without any tears in his eye too, "Oh ! we knew that 'Old 
Stonewall' had to rest his men ; but General if a battle had come 
off, we would have been thar somehow." 

Knowing the temper, and child-like simplicity, yet the true loy- 
alty of the Southern Soldier ; and that they all, in the beginning, 
had been volunteers ; I was always opposed to shooting, what 
were called "deserters." 

If any of these 40 men had been arrested and tried, they would 
have been condemned and shot, and yet they were innocent of 
the crime of desertion. 

Jackson, with his stern, rigid sense of duty, felt differently and 
would not condone any violation of rules. 

General Lee sanctioned the shooting of three men convicted of 
desertion, in the winter of 1862-63, but never afterward. 

He knew that in an army, composed as ours was, of true men, 
it would be a cruel sacrifice of lives — a two edged sword which 
would, while striking at a crime, wound our cause in a vital point. 



'4 

The feelings ol tlic Arniv were against it. Almost tlu- univer- 
sal sentiment of the Soiith was opposed to such rigorous construc- 
tion of martial law. 

In very truth, we know that the Southern Armies were com- 
posed of men, such as hlled the ranks o^i no others since the days 
of Caesar, and he — -that greatest of all generals and of all men, did 
not punish soldiers even when guilty of mutinous revolt. He 
only told them to "go home ! that they should not serve in 
Caesar's Army." That was to them the bitterest condemnation 
and they sought forgiveness on bended knees. 

Suppose for one moment that (kMieral Lee had called before 
him a brigade or a regiment from which men had deserted and 
said to them "some of your men ha\e tarnished the good name 
of this Army by deserting its ranks and our cause, go home, if 
you will ; but if you stay your colors shall be taken from you." 
Does not everv one of us know that that (xondemned Brigade 
would, in the \ery next battle, have sought death in the foremost 
ranks to win l)ack the favor t)f a belox'cd chief 

MARYLAND MEN. 

I must here say a word or two of the Maryland men. ( icneral 
S. Cooper, Adjutant General of our Government, told me in 
Richmond, that over 21,000 Marylanders had entered the South- 
ern Armies. Very unfortunately 1 think for the good name of 
our State, and for the success of the cause espoused, these soldiers 
were never organized into Brigades or Divisions. There were 
enough to make a corj)s, and what a corps it would ha\'e been ; 
what deeds performed ! 

General Lee often told me that he had much at heart, the sep- 
arate organization of the Marylanders. "They are, he said, un- 
rivalled soldiers and if brought together we may get many rjther 
Marylanders to join us." 

In a letter of May 1S63, when I applied after sickness, to join 
him, he wrote: "I have something better tor you. I wish you 
to take command of the .Shenandoah Valley — your headquarters 
at Staunton. You will haxx- all the Maryland troops, which I 
hope vou will be able to organize and build up into something 
respectable. \'ou can give general super\isi(Mi of operations 
there, and form the left wing of the Army. Let nic know your 
decision and I will issue the necessary orders." 



15 

Before I was well enough to reach Staunton, the move into 
Pennsylvania had begun, and I was swept along with it. And. so 
the collection of Maryland men into Brigades, &c., was never 
accomplished. 

And now my friends, I shall trespass on your patience but a 
moment longer. 

At first we had but one regiment of Mary landers, the gallant 
1st. How shall I speak of that? Every one in Lee's and Jack- 
son's Armies admitted the superiority of its martial bearing ; its 
unquestioned bravery and its unequalled discipline. On a march — 
not hobbling along in broken ranks, but proud and ere6l in neat 
fitting uniforms, they "swung on" in platoons of fours, "right 
shoulder shift," keeping step, "with flag to the breeze." How 
superb they looked ; no "straggling" there ; on they swept, 
"dauntless and fearless and free," always welcomed with a cheer 
as they passed by other troops. They could march better, fight 
better, make better biscuits than any soldiers of the Army. 

Oh ! if we could have had a Di\'ision or Corps of such Soldiers ; 
some of us would have seen more of Maryland and Pennsylvania 
and stayed there longer I think. I Once said to General Lee after 
the battles around Richmond, when urging the collection of 
Marylanders together; that with 20,000 such men, he could march 
to New York. That was "tall bragging." But who can say it 
might not have been done ? The ist were the "dandies" ot 
the Army ; better dressed ; better shod ; better drilled and in 
gayer spirits than any in the whole Army, and never 07ic 
deserter. 

Who that has stood on some battlefield of the war— made 
memorable by heroic deeds and dauntless bravery — that was not 
impressed with deep solemnity in gazing over its features ? I have 
done so, but one year after the war was over, and surveyed with 
overpowering emotions the plain where 

Bright sword and gleaming bayonet fia.shed 

In the liglit of mid-day where serried liosts 

Were shivered ; and the grass — green from the soil 

( )f carnage ; then waved above the crushed 

And mouldering skeleton — where plats of broken soil 

Still seamed tlie plain — showing where "unnamed" 

Graves entomljed the fallen dead "naine.s unknown 

To all, but lieroes still." * * * * 



i6 

And as my eye fell on these humble hillocks, and my steps pro- 
faned not their hallowed earth ; I stood with uncovered head and 
bowed in homage to the heroes who had passed to silence and 
patriotic dust. And as the glance fell on the undulating surface 
of that field — its bordering woods ; its fences and tangled under- 
growth ; what sight did memory picture 77iost vividly in the con- 
flict that raged there ? Was it that noble chieftain, who so much 
won our love and admiration? Seated calmly, with majestic 
grandeur, on the old grey horse, and who only loved better the 
cause he served than the lives of his "boys in gray." The lifting of 
whose arm made a nation tremble, and whose presence was ever, 
the inspiration of victory — No! it was not him. 

Was it the boom of the great guns on yonder hill — sending and 
receiving death at every roar — and covering the field with that 
sulphureous canopy — the battle shrowd of those who die ! No ! 
it was not the cannon's roar, nor the wild shriek of shot and shell. 
Then what was it! I'll tell you my comrades. 

It was that lo7ig line of dusky forms and flashing bayonets which 
moves with silent, steady tread across yon open field and towards 
yonder woods, — from which the enemy has, for one hour, sent 
sheets of leaden hail and from which a fiercer tempest is poured, 
as those intrepid men advance. The plain is dotted behind them 
thick with fallen forms. The line grows ragged under this relent- 
less deluge of death — Flags go down ; but float again : Still on 
they go ; on ; on ; on ! The wood is near, we hold our breath, 
and then, above the mad roar of the conflict, there swells upon the 
air that "Rebel cheer" before wliirh no hostile forces ever stood — 
and the day is won. 

Yes : my comrades ; another victory — victory after victory ; 
why — my friends, we -were gorged with victories, and we begun to 
loathe them. They were too dearly paid for, by the blood of our 
brave men, (not the hirelings of foreign lands) and the tears wrung 
from broken hearts in far-off" southern homes. 

VTCTOR^'. 

It is said that a victory is sadder even than a defeat. In the 
latter, we do not realize at once our loss. In the former, we are face 
to face with the ghastly wounds of the fallen, hear the heart-rend- 
ing moans of the wounded, and we must perform the saddest ot all 



17 

sad duties, the task of hunting for and interring our dead comrades. 
Then the triumphant cheer is changed to subdued tones, as the 
dead are thrown into hastily made graves. There they repose ; 
no name, nor stone to mark the spot. Yes ; they will march no 
more — hunger no more — fight no more — but sleep undisturbed 
until the "Great Reveille" shall wake them to a better life ; where 
wars are not, where no tears are shed nor weariness is known. 
Yes ; there they slumber ; far away from their homes of sunny 
childhood. The wild flowers of summer are all that deck these 
humble mounds. 

"Which tell of hearts that are waiting in vain 
For those who shall never come home again ; 
Of the widow's moan and the orphan's cry 
And the mother's speechless agony." 

Ah ! no : humble , enduring ; patriotic : brave ; unselfish ; 
glorious ! "Johnny Reb." you will never be forgotten ; you need 
no sculptured stone, nor classic epitaph to tell of your deeds. 

They will be sung in verse and told in story. 

"When marble wears away. 
And monuments are dust." 

But I have detained you too long with this feeble tribute to the 
valor and prowess of the .Southern infantry and will close by words 
from the verse of our sweetest Southern Poet 

"Firm as the hrmest wh?re duty led 
He hurried without a falter ; 
Bold as the boldest lie fought and bled 
And the day was won — but the field was red, 
And the blood of his fredi young heart was shed 
For his country's hallowed altar. 
But til ir memories e'er shall remain, to us 
Their names — bright names without stain, for us ; 
The glory they won shall not wane, for us ; 
In legend and lay, our heroes in gray 
Shall forever live over again for us." 



"OUR CAVALRY." 

First in the front, last in tlie rear. The Artillery rested 
sometimes ; the Infantry rarely ; the Ca\alry never. 

RESPONDED TO HY 

LT. COL. clemp:nt .SULIVAXE, 

.\. A. (;. CLSTIS lee's DIVISIOX, a. X. VA. 



Mr. President and my Old Comrades : 

There is some indefiniteness about this sentiment which I am 
called on to respond to, that tends to further embarrass the well 
known modesty of a cavalry-man. "Always" first in the front 
and last in the rear." P>ont of what and rear of what? If it be 
intended to insinuate that they are always first to sit down at a 
well spread table, "with concomitants accordin'," and the last to 
leave it, in allusion to the well known slur of the other corps of the 
service on the Confederate cavalry, that they were always first in 
the front to attack the turnip patches and such like other objects 
of a soldier's love, gracefully retired to the rear at the first sound 
of heavy guns, and there pertinaciously remained to supply them- 
selves with the debris of battle before expeditiously following the 
infantry and artillery in advance or retreat, then fellow soldiers, I 
repel the same with indignation. 

But the second sub-division of this sentiment seems to forbid 
the idea of any such intention. "The Artillery sometimes rested, 
the Infantry rarely, the Cavalry never." Being in the past tense it 
cannot refer to the present, and can mean but one thing, viz : that 
the Artillery sometimes rested from marching and fighting, the 
Infantry rarely, and the Cavalry never. And taking the two 
together, especially in view of this so happy an occasion that 
brings so many of us old soldiers together once more, I can but 
conclude that it is designed as a compliment, and in reply to it on 
part of my cavalry comrades, will say that we are as happy to 
meet our old comrades of the Infantry and Artillery on this fes- 
tive occasion, as (and many a time it has been) we were in the 
stern days of yore, after weary hours of "holding the situation," 
to see the long lines of bayonets of the one wheeling into line 
behind us, and the other unlimbering their cannon in hot haste on 
the adjacent hill tops. Then indeed "there was music in the air." 

But the fact is, Mr. President, it was my fate to serve in all three 
wings of that famous army, that e\^en in defeat, has added fresh 
glory to the annals of war, and I think I can speak impartially. 
Being not much more than an infant, naturally I first served in 
the Infantry and graduated in that renowned corps under then 
Capt. (since Colonel) J. Lyle Clark, here present, ably assisted in 



22 

his tutclai^c \ty Lieut. Stcuart Svmiiititon, seated at niy side, who 
was the '■|)rett\' lad" of our eoin|^any — and I beUeve the ladies 
maintain it to this da\'. Cei-tainh' it is not I who will say them 
nay. Then, like m\- friend. Col. |aek W'iiarton, (A celebrated 
memory, bein<; ot a somewhat adx'enturous turn in those days of 
V'OUth, .ylor\' and hope, and ha\ ini^ always heard that "if you 
want to catch h-11 just jiiie tin- caxalry, "I attached myself to that 
celebrated (-orps and had full op])ortunity f(jr a year and a half 
to experience the lull heuefil ol the situation. And then i went 
back to my first lo\-e, there to remain until the last g'uns /;/// those 
of Appomattox resounded o\er desolated but e\-er glorious Vir- 
ginia, 1 refer of" course to "Sailor's Creek." My experience 
with my friends, the Artillerists, so handsomely represented here 
to-night b\' Lieut. Col. M<dntosh, was indeed Init brief, being in 
point of fact confined to the volunteer service ot a single dav\ 
when 1 became entangled and somewhat m.-ished up in one ot 
their rascally caissons on that day ot blood when, in one broad 
wave of fiery valor. Infantry, Artillery and Cavalry rolled over the 
ramparts of Corinth, where (inextricably intermingled) the red, 
the yellow , and the blue ensigns of the service fell together, and 

"pjvcn iis tlicy fell in files they i;iy, 
Lii<(' tiu' nio\v<'i'"s j;r;iss at tlu' close nt'diiy 
When his work is done on the levelled [ilain, 
Such was the fall of" the foremost slain."' 

and cavalry, infantry, and. artillery w(M'e all alike, the "first in the 
front and the last in tlu^ yew" at the storming otC'orinth. 

.Mr. President, I served dining our memorable and disastrous 
civil struggle from the East to the West and back again to the 
Last, and wherever I went, in rvrr]' branch of the service, I met 
with Marylanders. And why is it, 1 will ask, why is it that every 
.Marvlander thi-ills at the name of .Maryland ? It is because he 
feels a just pride in his .State and of the people of whom he is a 
tmit. It is because he glories in the valor of her sons in the times 
ol war, their enterprise and law-abiding disposition in the days of 
peace. Becavise from the commencement of the national history 
to the present hour — all over the globe — from the icy wastes of 
Canada tar away to the .South where the bright green terraces and 
ever tloweiing gardens of" .Me.xico, bloom forever beneath the sky 
ol the tropics. ( )n tlu' trackless ocean, where the very war of the 
elements has been drowned in the thunder of .American cannon. 



23 



Whercvc?- the American flag is flung to the breeze, there have 
throbbed, and still throb, Maryland hearts beneath the uniform of 
their country. Wherever America has waged war, by land or sea, 
in protection of the rights, the dignity, and the interests of her 
people, the children ol Maryland ha\'e crowded "foremost in the 
front'" and fallen in heaps beneath the banner of the Republic. 
And as for the rear I who was it that in our last and greatest war 
got so "full of fight," that seven months after our own Generals 
told the ragged remnants of us to quit fighting and go home and 
be as good citizens as we had been soldiers, and that was all they 
wished of us, and we never quit until then — our distinguished 
guest, the famous Lieutenant (General of the army ot North Vir- 
ginia, the most honored as the most renowned o( living Virginians, 
exclaims "not by wj' orders" — and I yield to the accuracy ot hisstate- 
ment — but it was by order of him who under God commanded us 
all, Robert E. Lee. I ask you, who was it that aroused the echoes 
of the deep blue Pacific with Confederate cannon ? It was the 
Captain of the Shenandoah, and he was a Marylander, and his name 
was Waddell, and he sits h\ my side. And his guns were the 
re-echoing of echoes that were sounding o\er the stormy Atlantic, 
and thcv were those of a Marylander and his name was Semmes. 
I tell you, gentlemen, that practically Marylanders began that 
war; the first blood was shed in ^'olU■ own streets of BaltiuK^re, and 
they certainly ended it. That is to say, and to be entirely accurate, 
it was a Maryland gun that was fired on the Shenandoah by a 
South Carolinian whose name was Grimble, a compatriot and friend 
of the famous Carolinian whom all Marvland delights to honor, 
the last commander of the cavalry of the army of North Virginia — 
another distinguished guest who graces us with his presence on 
this occasion, I can but refer to Lieut. General Wade Hampton 
of South Carolina. The blood of the sons of Marvland crim- 
soned the snows of Quebec in the earlv dawn of the re\-olution. 
It was poured out as free as a gushing torrent on the melancholy 
plains of disastrous Camden, .where a Maryland brigade perished 
well nigh to a man in protecting the retreat of their defeated com- 
rades. And tardy justice is now about to be done, mainly through 
the instrumentality of the distinguished soldier who presides over 
this Association, to that renowned foreign soldier who there led 
our ancestors to battle. Maryland blood reddened the fortifica- 
tions of Monterey, stained the hoary ramparts of Chapultepec, 
and rained a ghastly dew on the hill slopes of Getty.sburg. 



'J.l 



4 

Mr. President, it is not the Ct)nfederate sur\'ivors of the hite 
desperate struggle between the States who are ashamed of their 
sleeping comrades, or of the cause in which they fell. Theirs were 
acts not to be excused l)iit applauded — not to be pardoned but 
admired. And it is not in this company tiiat 1 will condescend to 
vindicate deeds that history will teach the remotest posterity to 
revere, and which are calculated to enkindle in the hearts of un- 
born millions the holv enthusiasm of freedom. lie have already 
placed their names — side by side with the heroes of the revolution, 
of the war of 1812, and of Mexico, and garlanded with the imvior- 
telles that belong to the fallen brave, in that niche in the Temple of 
Fame where they will be preserved sacred and inviolate through 
all the ages. At least, w^hile liberty remains a name upon earth 
and self sacrificing patriotism and unflinching courage are honored 
among men. We revere their memory, we justify the cause in 
which they ha\-e fallen, and I trust I may hope and say in conclu- 
sion, (ientlemen of Maryland, that should any proper occasion 
arise, we of this generation may be found equal to the task of 
emulating their example. 



"OUR ARTILLERY." 

Tliough occasionally their room was better than their com- 
pany, by reason of the marked attention which they 
attracted from the enemy, as a rule they were \ery 
welcome— except to the people opposite. 

RESPONDED TO BY 

COL. DAVID G. Mcintosh. 

Mcintosh's battalion artillery, a. n. va.^ 



Mr. President and Fellow Comrades : 

It is such a very long while since I have had anything to do 
with trailing a gun, or handling a battery ; I am afraid, in endeav- 
oring to respond to this toast to the "Artillery," I shall find I have 
almost forgotten how to "unlimber" and come into "action front." 

I congratulate myself however, that on this occasion, I need be 
in no hurry to get the range of an enemy; that there is no bother- 
ation about ascertaining the true difference between the "line of 
sight" and the "line of fire;" that I ha\'e no "Hausses" to look 
through, and no "Horses" to look after ; and that I can quietly 
throw a harmless shell, only taking care that my fuse be not cut 
too long. 

I am reminded by the terms in which you ha\ e been pleased to 
convey this toast, that there were times, when our room was pre- 
ferred to our company, and our brothers of the Cavalry and the 
Infantry did'nt care to have the Artillery as near neighbors, by 
reason of the attention bestowed upon them by the other side. 

I cannot undertake to speak for those branches of the service, 
but speaking for the Artillery, I think I am safe in saying that 
such a feeling was never reciprocated on their side. They may 
have been a little exclusive about the matter of camps ; and I 
think I have heard of their anxiety to get as far awav to them- 
selves as possible; because perhaps ot an impression which gen- 
erally prevailed, that Hardee's tactics didn't lay sufficient stress on 
the distinction between nieian and hiuvi. 

But whenever there was a fight on hand, we were as social as 
possible ; we always loved company then ; and we were ready to 
embrace our Infantry Brothers, and be embraced b)^ them even to 
two or three lines deep. I think about the lonesomest feeling in 
the world, certainly the lonesomest to an Artilleryman, is to be 
expecting a charge every moment and not be able to see any 
support around. 

One of the lonesomest experiences of that sort which came to my 
knowledge, happened during that campaign about which we have 
been so eloquently entertained by the distinguished speaker of 
ihe evening. 



28 

W'hilc the tarnished men and horses were luxuratiiii; on the 
stores captured at Manassas Junction, a battery was ordered to 
take position upon the crest of a hill some distance to the south 
to meet an apprehended attack from the direction of Bristow Sta- 
tion. Which they proceeded to do icHhout their stores. 

The afternoon saw all the troops in the neighborhood mcne off 
to the north, and night came on, but no word to the Battery. 
The hours grew longer as the darkness increased, and an occa- 
sional scout sent out reported nothing behind but the smoking 
ruins at the Junction, and nothing in front but the ominous rum- 
bling of moving trains. Long after midnight a squad of passing 
cavalry gave the soothing intelligence that they brought up the 
rear guard of the ;irmy, and that the enemy wasn't far off. 
You've heard of the boy that stood on the burning deck ; but 
there wasn't any Casabianca in that Battery on that night. Those 
boys didn't want to be burned up or gobbled up ; they concluded it 
was too utterly lonesome, and day-light next morning found them 
at Centreville behind as many lines of Infantry as they could find. 

But Mr. President, in responding to a sentiment, offered as this 
is, to a branch of the service representing so many brave and dis- 
tinguished men, I am afraid I should aj^pear wanting in proper 
respect, if I allowed mv remarks to be made altogether in the 
spirit of levity. 

It has its painful reminders, but it has also much that none of 
us would be willing to blot out or extinguish. 

It is not easv to speak of the past just as one feels, or as one 
would like. 

There is something in the discipline and the danger and priva- 
tions of a soldier's life, which always make its retrospect the ten- 
derest spot in his life. He nurses its memory with tender solici- 
tude, and no matter how rich or how poor, he esteems it among the 
costliest of his earthly possessions. 

When these of us therefore who know something of what that 
experience means, meet together in these annual reunions, the 
world outside may well excuse us if we pause for a moment again 
to look each other in the face, and briefly renew the associations 
begotten in the pa.st. There isn't a true soldier to-day, on either 
side who would exchange his army experience for any period of 
his life of equal duration. 



59 

I take it therefore there is no arrogance or conceit, no, — nor dis- 
loyalty either — in saying I am proud of my association with the 
Artillery of the Army of Northern Virginia. 

None of us can be insensible to the impressions which the last 
twenty years have made ; we are all of us to some extent moulded 
by events. 

Perhaps few, if any of those who fought the stoutest, would 
now wish to change the final issue of the struggle. The thing 
which most concerns us, and that which must assuredly be 
accorded to us by History, is that in doing what we did, we did 
under a solemn sense of duty. It was the sense of duty and the 
supreme conviction that right was on our side, which made us the 
soldiers that we were. 

It would be envidious, Mr. President, and perhaps in bad taste 
tor me to allude specially on this occasion to the part which the 
Artillery bore in our memorable struggle. 

For myself, I have always concluded that to the Infantry man 
in the ranks, belongs the first place of Honor. And I remember 
that when I was accustomed to see those little squads mustered at 
nightfall from their respective regiments and detailed to creep out 
to the trenches on the picket line, there to lie for twenty four 
hours in the mud and ice, between the lines of opposing forces 
only a few hundred yards apart. I always felt like lifting my hat 
to them as par excellence, the heroes of our army. 

But while the Artillery had little opportunity for the display of 
dash, and were denied the thrill of that exulting joy which runs 
along the line of a victorious charge ; and while their chief merit 
lay in the exercise of passive obedience and dogged resistance, 
there was now and then an exhibition of their daring temper as 
well as their stubborn courage. 

I trust you will pardon my recalling an instance. I accom- 
panied Dement's Maryland Battery when a division of our Army 
attacked the left flank of the enemy, near the Weldon railroad, in 
front of Petersburg. The movement was quick and rapid, but 
the battery moving thro' an open space on tlie edge of the wood, 
kept abreast of our front line of battle, firing as it advanced, and 
when the battle was over, and while we were gathering in the 
captured guns and prisoners, a section of the battery commanded 
by the gallant soldier who now sits near me. Lieutenant Hill, tak- 



30 

ing' out their horses ran their guns by hand in front of our pickets, 
and within 200 yards of the enemy's works, firing several rounds 
of cannister in the very face of the enemy and getting off without 
a scratch. 

Amid all the glorious achievements of our army in every 
branch, there isn't a more brilliant episode than the defense of 
Fort Gregg, garrisoned by the Chesapeake Artillery and the 
"Sups" from the battalion, armed with muskets, and nicknamed 
"Walker's mules." The ])roper history of that defence has yet 
to be written. I saw column after column of heavy black masses 
of troops broken and shattered by the fire from the guns in the 
works, and when after repeated efforts the enemy succeeded in 
crossing the moat and scaling the rampart. I could see the flash 
of the guns, with the enemy at their muzzles, and the gunners 
bayoneted at their posts. 

I cannot, Mr. President, in the short space of time within which 
I am cautioned to burn my fuse, venture to allude to the person- 
nel of the Artillery. But 1 must be permitted to offer a single 
word by way ot tribute to that good man and distinguished sol- 
dier, who was the Chief of Artillery of the Army of Northern 
Virginia and whose death lias been recorded since our last meet- 
ing. 

He first saw service as Captain ot a battery with Colonel, 
afterwards General Stonewall Jackson ; was conspicuous with his 
smooth brass guns at the first Manassas, and was made Chief of 
Artillery first under Gen'l Johnson, and then un.der (xcn'l Lee. 
It was in the last capacity that 1 knew liim. 

The organization ol the Artillery was such that it could never 
be handled as a whole, and there was little opportunity for the 
display of ability on the part of a Chiel', except in the general 
efficiency of that arm of the service. In this respect. General 
Pendleton displayed the most excellent judgment, and his direc- 
tions and suggestions on the field were always marked by great 
prudence and sagacity. One had only to see and sj:)eak with him 
a moment, to discover that he was not only the educated, but the 
christian soldier. He often received honorable mention in the 
official reports of the Campaign, and he possesed, I believe, the 
entire confidence of that great leader, whom we all trusted and 
delighted to follow. His great and beloxed commander went 



31 

before him, and now, he too has crossed over that river, upon the 
banks of which, we still pitch our tents, and has passed to the 
other shore. 

If we carry with us aught of the human into that spirit- land, 
we may well believe, he rejoices in communion with those illustri- 
ous shadows, by whom on earth he was loved and esteemed. 

In conclusion, let me say, Mr. President, that if as a rule, we 
were welcome to our side, we did our level best to make our- 
selves unwelcome to the other side. They beat us in the amount 
of ammunition burned ; and until we had captured sufficient to 
make up a fair average, they excelled us in the character of our 
ordnance ; but when it came to the point of markmanship and 
execution, I believe our gunners always held their own. 




"OUR NAVY" 

Ready for service wherever duty called ; in the batteries at 

Acquia Creek, or in the breast- works at Petersburg; 

from Hampton Roads to Mobile Bay, in the hour of 

disaster not less than in the day of victory ; 

they added lustre to the cause they loved ; 

they made all seas acquainted with 

our flag ; they bore it farthest and 

they furled it last. 

RESPONDED TO BY 

CAPT. JAMES J. WADDELL, 

C. S. S. S. SHENANDOAH. 



LofC. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen : 

Your honorable committee have paid me the distinguished 
compHment, by request, to respond to that sentiment, "Our 
Navy." To me, as with all of us, it is an interesting feature to 
this evening's entertainment. A sailor, with his opportunities, 
hesitates to fulfill the duty he has undertaken to perform, in 
addressing an audience cultured in all those branches of educa- 
tional refinement which develop and embellish the intellectual 
attributes of man. Mr. President, the theme of this response, 
like the flag it bore, though dead, yet will live ; and I shall talk 
about these things which occupied the thoughts of my boyhood, 
grew with my growth into manhood, and have ever fascinated my 
understanding. 

The personnel of the "Navy of the Confederate States" has 
written its history in human gore. And I need here not des- 
cant on the odds it met, the places where conflicts and results 
occurred, but like its heroism, so has it become history ; that it 
gave to the Naval powers of the World, the armour plated fight- 
ing ships. All the powers of Europe, if they would do the hon- 
est thing, would pay Captain Brooke a royalty, to say nothing of 
the Government under whose flag we must feel privileged to live, 
and be content. The illustrious names of "Buchanan" and of 
"Semmes" in themselves constitute a Navy. Without such spirits, 
iron and wooden ships of war mean nothing ; it is the inspiration 
ol the God-like soul which throws light into such material, and 
those names go down to coming generations, a people's pride, 
a people's glory, a people's history. And Mr. President, their 
memories leave e7nulatio7i payitiyig behind. The cruising vessels 
of the Confederate States were intended to operate against the 
enemy's commerce, they were few, slightly built and swift, and 
those vessels took absolute possession of the waters of the world, 
driving without opposition the enemy's mercantile marine from 
the ocean — that were so fortunate as to escape capture — into port 
and even there, the "Gallant Read" chased and captured them. 

As champions of a cause which commended itself, even to those 
whose political instincts it offended, tribute has been offered to 



36 

their ))ali'i()tisin and to tluii' (ounti'v's chixali'}-. No greater com- 
pliment could be paid them than the enemy's runnins^ abuse for 
twenty years. It has been chari^^ed them that they were content 
with burning' merchantmen and destroxing the commerce ot 
the enemy, and as they (hd only what e\ery belligerent power 
is most ambitious ot" doing to its opjjonent, the charge is a testi- 
mony to their aetivity and skill. They may well be excused 
for using a weapon that their enemy had furnished them ; \{ pri- 
vateering — as they still 2cill have it — was the \ice of the Confed- 
erates, then the "Federals" are responsible for ha\'ing sanctioned 
it ; if it was the one engine of war, u hich harrassed them most, 
then the\- reaped the |)ena]ty ot ha\ing fabricated it. It is well- 
known that when Kuro]X' conspired to put down the system, 
America refused to di\est warfare of one ot its most cruel acces- 
sions. Sum up the offenses against civilization, of which both 
sides were guilty, and then see which is the greater criminal. 
Ha\(-' the peoj)le, who s])eak of the Captains of those cruisers as 
"Pirates," ever heard of the theft of the "Florida ?" The Fed- 
eral (ioxernment distinguished itself formerly in this class of trans- 
actions, but did ne\'er suppress tlie outrages in the Hrazillian 
waters, on the 4th of October. 1S64. Did it exer gi\e a more 
conspicuous exhibition of the code of law and honor which 
ruled it, and which its apologists affected to dispise in their oppo- 
nents ? We all recollect the tale of treachery. The "Florida" 
cU'ri\ed at Bahia .San Sahador, on the 4th of October, i(S64, she j)ul 
in for a sn])pl\' of stores and coal and to repair her machinery. 
Soon after she anchored, a boat came alongside and asked her 
name. The Confederate ga\e his reply in all honesty. A person 
in the boat responded, "this boat is from Her Britannic Majesty's 
Steamer Curlew." The thini^- 7i'as untrue . for no British man-of- 
war was in port at that time. The "Florida" was discovered, and in 
a few hours, in the dead of night, so history goes, her crew was 
butchered and the vessel towed out of port and taken to Ham])- 
ton Roads, where, we all know how and by whom, she was des- 
troyed — that destruction was made to avoid an honest restitution. 
The commander of the "Washusetts" was made a commodore for 
his seizure of the "Florida" in neutral waters. I do not think it 
would have occurred in a British or a French port. It has been 
said if the Confederate Go\ernment had bought more cruisers 
and let the building of costly fighting ships alone, a different 



37 

result may have been reached ; that I think questionable. To build 

fighting ships abroad was an easy task, but to get them to sea and 

man them was a difficult one. Sailors are like other men, they 

do not relish the thought of having their brains knocked out in 

another man's fight. We depended on foreign .sailors, and they 

felt no interest in our war ; a thirst for gain allured a few to 

enlist in our Ocean service, and prize money was the inducement. 

A sailor's devotion while ser\'ing in a ship grows, and at mention 

of her name his heart warms, and he is e\'er ready to defend her 

honor, hence the restless impatience of the "Alabama's" crew to 
engage the "Kearsarge." 

What else, except the sailor's beliet, in the life of ships, makes 
the parallel between ship's lives and men's life, so pleasant and 
constant a fable ? as on land, so on sea, you have them of all sorts. 
There is the national ship, proud, stately, warlike. There is the 
great merchantman, rich, solid, busy. There is the fat, bustling 
trader, toiling up and down the coast with coals or cattle or pro- 
duce. There are the graceful, lively, gaily dressed pleasure craft, 
vachts and dispatch boats, the ladies of the sea. There are the 
industrious, disregarded "smacks" and "pungies" working hard for 
every inch of luck they get and taking the weather pretty much 
as it comes, which nobody counts, and nobody cares for. And 
the reason why a ship's fate affects you so much, is always the 
sailor's reason. When we see a great vessel rolling lonely at sea, 
her mast gone, her gear loose and adrift, and sheets of foaming sea 
pouring in and out of her helpless sides ; who wants the fable ex- 
plained ? Many such a craft, once proud and capable, wallows 
among the screaming sea birds of destiny, upon the waters of life. 

Practical and imaginative people may say : what difference does 
it make to the ship ? but no sailor will listen to that. Loquacious 
theorists have declared, that naval supremacy is due to a pronoun, 
we call the ship "///c" and other tongues call a ship "/A" "She" 
implies that the ship '^carries us' and in some manner, alive, as a 
sailor in his heart privately believes — or why does he talk about 
her foot, her waist, her head, her dimity, as the graceful thing- 
floats on the surface of the ocean ? There is life in the craft, from 
the time she leaves the "ways" into the tide, to the hour when her 
timbers are laid on the sand or rocks, or the saddest of all, in the 
ship breaker's yard. The most of the iron plated vessel is, that 
the black, ugly armour has no such vitality, and cannot be 



38 

christened with the prettv old fashioned* names which helped the 
sailor's superstition out. We cannot answer for such hideous 
monsters, they are created out of dull miiuial, which came from 
the bowels of the earth, and should tluy not all come to grief 
like the "Monitor?'' The "Blacksmith, " will some day have toturn 
them mto, po/s and pans, iron raiUni^s and boi/rrs, but Mr. Presi- 
dent, the timber of the wooden ship grew in the sunlight, it waved 
in the forest and heard the winds sing, before bending to the breeze 
under topsails. 




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